She Loves My Dog
by leftmywingshome
Summary: When her dreams of being a rockstar fall flat, Beth comes back to her sleepy hometown. Daryl's dog failed to make the grade at guide dog school and instead of leaving him to an uncertain future Daryl becomes a reluctant dog owner. They meet in the most unexpected way and maybe Beth's on to something when she says it's a sign.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This fic is the result of listening to 'Me and My Dog' by Boygenuis way too many times! However, there are very similarities beyond the dog. rckyfrk this one is kinda sorta for you...**

The bus dropped her off in the parking lot of the library. The town never did have an official bus depot. It just wasn't big enough. Her calls to Maggie had gone unanswered and calling her dad had been out of the question. So she wandered across the street to sit in the little park and feel sorry for herself and wait for her sister to call her back.

It's early and a weekday but there are a few people enjoying the sunshine. Shrieks come from the playground where little children play under the watchful eye of their mothers sitting on the benches. An older man with what Beth believes to be a metal detector is circling around and around the grass following a persistent beeping. Another man and his dog are coming up the sidewalk. Beth stands to stretch her stiff legs. Five hours spent mostly sitting on a bus hadn't helped her mood either.

Coming home after a failed attempt at making it big in Nashville was bad enough, but the last time she'd talked to her father he'd basically written her off for leaving behind a scholarship and a future in Veterinary medicine. Following in his footsteps, that's what she would've been doing and while it hadn't been a horrible prospect because she loves animals and has her daddy's special touch, she dreamed of writing music and playing and singing in her own band.

She'd spent more time working two jobs to pay her bills than she had making her dreams come true with her music. And she'd been miserable in the big city. She missed her little hometown with its quiet streets and quaint coffee shop that knew her order and never got it wrong. She missed the farm and her horse Nellie. She even missed Maggie bossing her around like she was perpetually five years old. And she missed her stubborn father.

She'd had to go and leave home to figure all that out. Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, all she wanted was to go home.

And here she is.

She heard the dog whining but before she could find out why she was on her back in the grass with a wet nose in her face.

"Goddammit pup!" The gruff voice belongs to the man who pulls the big yellow lab off of her so she can breathe again. "Ya okay? I only let 'em off the leash fer a second. Supposed ta be trained ta stay. Fuckin' dog don't do shit," the man grumbles as he offers Beth a hand.

Waving his hand away she bursts into tears and the dog starts whining again doing it's best to get free of its owner's grip. Her tears must've thrown the man off. He's looking at her like he has no clue what to do and she can see the concern in his blue eyes, really blue eyes. Everything else about him is dark from his clothes to his hair but his eyes...

Then the dog is back in her lap nosing at her face and licking her cheeks, a completely different kind of concern.

"Shit! 'M sorry... " He plops down on the ground beside Beth and yanks the dog into his lap. "Did he hurt ya… Yer laughing?" His brow's furrowed but that does nothing to hide the fact that he's ruggedly handsome and those eyes…

"I'm fine… really, I'm okay… it's just, god I wanted a sign. I guess I got it!" Still laughing she does her best to wipe away the tears and dog spit.

It's insane and the irony isn't lost on her. But the man currently sitting next to her in the grass is completely confused and rightly so, one minute she's crying the next she's laughing. He must think she's a basket case.

"A sign?" The dog has given up on her and is now trying to lick his master's frown away.

"I'm Beth, by the way." She holds out a hand and he looks at it for a second before awkwardly taking it in his and giving it more of a squeeze than a shake.

"Daryl."

"And what's this friendly fellas name?" The dog has settled in Daryl's lap the best he can considering his size. His tongue is out and he looks like he's perfectly content.

"Uh, it's Pup." Daryl is squinting at her dubiously.

"Pup. Well, that's unique." Reaching between them she scratches the dog's nose.

"How the hell you know he's a he?"

"He's not, um… neutered." She braces herself for a comeback, one she's heard many times over the years. Especially from men. It's like a personal attack on their own manhood when confronted with the issue of neutering a pet.

Daryl blushes as he lays a hand on Pup's back.

"Yeah, I uh, I jus' got 'em. Kinda weird situation wasn't even looking for a dog." Okay so maybe Daryl isn't one of those types of men, which makes her happy. Not that it matters, but it does a little. Right now she'll grab onto anything that makes her feel good.

"But he found you right? So maybe you just didn't know you needed him." Beth smiles brightly and she's sure she sees the corners of his mouth quiver as if they want to turn into a smile too. He doesn't look like he quite knows how to do it, smile. And she finds herself wanting to know why.

"He's a reject and I got stuck with 'em." Now it's her turn to be confused. Dusting off her hands she stands and this time she's holding out a hand for him which he promptly dismisses and after untangling himself from his dog he stands up beside her.

"Would you want to have a cup of coffee or something? I'll tell you about that sign I mentioned and you can tell me about Pup." Daryl and his dog are the first good thing to come into her life in quite a while and she isn't ready to let them go yet. She waits while Daryl mulls this over.

"Alright," he says glancing over at her luggage and guitar case piled on the park bench. "If ya wanna grab yer stuff my trucks parked in the lot." She does just that and Daryl must have given up on trying to hold Pup back because he follows her sniffing at her luggage and bumping into her legs.

She got off the bus from Nashville feeling scared and nervous. Now she feels like she can handle just about anything, even a call to her daddy if it comes to that.

And all because of a dog and the man that owns him.

* * *

Daryl's not exactly sure what Carol had in mind when she said he needed this particular dog in his life. He's nothing but a pain in the ass. But Carol sometimes knows more than humanly possible and it's just fucking scary.

Now there's a beautiful albeit strange blonde girl sitting in his truck going to coffee with him. Coffee that she suggested after being accosted by his dumb ass dog.

His.

He hasn't really thought of Pup in that way. Not in the literal sense. But the dog is his and he's a reject and Daryl can kinda, sorta relate to that. It has nothing to do with the fact that the strange girl seems to think Pup is worth nose rubs and smiles and goofy baby talk. The idiot dog is eating it up. Sitting between the two of them tongue hanging out, tail wagging, he's obviously smitten with Beth.

Daryl can kinda, sorta can relate to that too. Even though it's not something he used to, being attracted to a woman he's just met or any other woman for that matter. It's been a long time since he's actually felt anything at all for someone and he's still not exactly sure what's going on.

After placing their order at the counter they find a little table in the corner. Beth had wanted to bring Pup in, even said she figured it would be fine but Daryl isn't all that comfortable having the dog out around other people. The park is something he just started doing because Carol said it was important to socialize him or some shit. And the first thing the damn dog does is jump all over a pretty girl.

"So what's Pup's story, I mean assuming there is a story… which I guess I'm assuming. You said you're stuck with him, does that mean you didn't want him?" Coming from anyone else this might rub him the wrong way like he's being accused of doing Pup dirty. But Beth is asking because she wants to know and even if he hardly knows her he can sense that and he finds himself wanting to tell her. Because he thinks she'll probably like it, the way he and Pup came together.

"I gotta go first?" he asks hoping she catches on that he's teasing. Or flirting, both of which he has very little experience doing.

"Yep. You first… I mean you kinda owe me. It was your dog that tried to suffocate me with slobbery puppy kisses." She gets it. And the twinkle in her eye makes him think about being on the receiving end of any kind of kisses from her. Clearing his throat he leans back thankful for the interruption as the barista brings their order to them.

He watches as she sips her coffee and smiles at him over the rim. Waiting. She's waiting for his story and he's wondering how he got here. Glancing out the window he sees Pups nose through the opening in the truck window. Stupid dog. That's why he's here.

Pup stayed in the truck and Beth made sure both windows were cracked even though it's late autumn and nowhere near hot enough to worry about the dog staying in the truck. Maybe it's all the dog and not Daryl. She even suggested bringing Pup in with them. Blowing out a breath he picks up his coffee and takes a drink. The heat is good, even burns his lip a little. He can do this. He can have a conversation with her and let it go at that. He doesn't even do this so… it'll be easy.

"Alright… Pup was supposed ta be one a them guide dogs, ya know ta help people with disabilities," he says.

"Oh! Really? That's amazing-"

"Nah. It ain't. He ain't got what it takes. Fucked up. So they was gonna send him off-"

"No!" Her face falls as she stares at him. "Not animal control?" Shrugging Daryl stirs his coffee.

"I'unno, Carol said it might not be a good place and he deserved something better. She thought I was better…"

"Oh… is Carol your girlfriend?"

"She's, uh-"

"I'm sorry… it's none of my business. I shouldn't have asked." She's blushing and that must mean something.. that's she's curious if he has a girlfriend.

" 'S alright. She's my sister in law. Place she works for trains the dogs."

"Oh," she smiles again, "but you took him so that means something right?"

"Means I can't say no ta Carol," Daryl mumbles. Glancing at the dog again he feels a little stab of guilt because if he's being honest he kind of likes the big dumb mutt.

Especially if Beth likes him. The dog, not him. Maybe she'll want to come see him again or the dog, either way, is okay with Daryl.

"Thas' it. Ain't nothing much." He looks across the table at her again and for a minute when he was talking he forgot how pretty she is and so he wasn't all that nervous. But now he's looking and she's the mind of pretty that in Daryl's world comes with a don not touch sign. Wrapping his hands around his cup he nods at her. "Yer turn."

"My turn, right… well… um, I had a scholarship to go to school to become a vet, like my dad but I ran off to Nashville instead. To be a rockstar." She's blushing a little as she sips her coffee.

"Rockstar huh? That explains the guitar case. So yer famous?"

"Not quite. It didn't actually work out like I dreamed it would." There's no smile on her face now. She looks a little like she might cry and he really hopes that's not the case. He's shit at dealing with tears.

"Guess life's like that, ain't exactly living the dream either." It's a fuck of a lot better than it has been though. He wants to ask her about her dreams now if they involve school or something else but he doesn't want to make her feel any worse.

"You've got a dog and a truck and…" Her laughter is like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. "What exactly do you do here if you don't mind me asking?" He shrugs. He doesn't mind, not really but his answer isn't all that exciting.

"Don' mind. I'm a mechanic. Work mainly on farm equipment. I got a little place on the outskirts of town…" He's making himself sound like a boring old loser. "And I got a dog and a truck."

"Sounds like a nice quiet life. That's something I missed when I took off…" He nods and watches her twist up her napkin like she's nervous about something.

"Ya said something about a sign, ya know when Pup knocked ya over." Her eyes sparkle but not with tears and it makes him feel good that he said something that makes her feel good.

"Part of the reason I came home was because being a rockstar sucked but the other part is, well my scholarship is still available and I wasn't doing anything but working in Nashville and I miss being here, being home and I think… I think that going to school and being a vet like my daddy might not be so bad. It used to be the only dream I had and I never stopped wanting it. I just thought I wanted the music more." It seems like she's talking more to herself than him like she's working things out while he listens.

"Tough choice." At least he thinks it might be. But then his choices have never been all that life-changing.

"I got off the bus and I couldn't get a hold of my sister and I don't know if I want to call my daddy yet and I guess I got to feeling sorry for myself, asking God to like gimme a sign or something, let me know I was on the right track and then Pup jumped on me and I figured that had to be the sign I was looking for." Her face isn't just blushing now, it's bright red. "Cause he's a dog and… kinda ridiculous I know…"

"It ain't. My dumbass dogs gotta be good fer something," Daryl says.

_And I met ya,_ is what he's thinking.

"I know right?! I mean I could've gone into the library and hung out then I would've missed out on all of this! But I didn't I went to the park and Pup was there and you…"

"And we're having coffee."

"Yes, we are… I think I like that part the best." The way she says it, all soft and sweet makes his face warm. That warmth is spreading and he doesn't doubt if he looked in the mirror he'd be bright red all the way to the tips of his ears.

**A/N Daryl and his dog... the show finally got something right! And who doesn't love a fic where Daryl's got a dog? And of course, Beth's gonna fall n love with it! But will she fall on love with his owner too? Stay tuned to find out! This one only has a few chapters which I will post on Tuesdays. I hope you all enjoy it! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I figure this one has a possibly two more chapters. Just a quick sweet Bethyl love story cause I was feeling mushy!**

Beth did the only thing that really made sense, she told the truth.

Maggie never called and it started getting later into the day and she felt horrible for keeping Daryl from whatever his plans had been. He kept saying he didn't have any but she figured he was just being nice because he saw she was frustrated. She offered him gas money to drive her out to the farm which he refused to take but drove her anyway.

It turned out he knew where she lived and who her daddy was.

"I did some work on an old tractor out at yer farm about two years ago, November I think. Right before we got that freak snowstorm."

Right after she'd left. She wondered if she hadn't have gone if she'd been there when Daryl came to work on the tractor and they'd met would it have felt like it did now? Like something brought them together, something more than Pup?

She put the thought aside. She was being silly thinking of Daryl like that. But it was hard not to wonder now that she knew him and liked him because he had been nice. That's all it was, wasn't it? Nothing more even though something about all of it felt like it was supposed to happen exactly the way it had. And it felt good. For the first time since she left home, she felt hopeful.

Which may have been part of the reason why when her daddy walked out onto the porch she threw herself in his arms and told the truth. She apologized and admitted he was right, had been right all along about everything and that she missed him, missed home and wanted to make it right, all of it.

He didn't push her away, he didn't even yell. He wrapped her up in his arms and squeezed her tight, a daddy bear hug, just like he did when she was little. It was nothing like the scenarios she'd been playing out in her head on the bus back home. He didn't reprimand her or treat her like a child. His disappointment broke her heart but the fact that he put away his pride and admitted that he could've handled it differently should've handled it differently made her love him even more than she ever thought she could.

"Bethy I think I'm more disappointed in myself. You had to find your own way. I guess I just should've had more faith in you." Sitting at the table in the kitchen drinking sweet tea and talking like adults but also knowing that she has her dad's support brings tears to her eyes again. And looking around the room that's wrapped up in all her childhood memories, the late afternoon sun falling across the worn wooden planks that make up the floor, dust motes dancing that mysterious dance they do as if they're living things makes her happy and sad at the same time.

She did the right thing coming home.

They both hear the screen-door squeak then slam and it's followed by her sister's voice loud and excited but also worried.

"Daddy? I got a bunch of missed calls from Beth, you know anything about-" Maggie comes in from the hallway and stops just inside the door staring at the both of them and barely blinks before she screams Beth's name and wraps her little sister in a hug.

Beth never expected this kind of homecoming. She really didn't know what she'd expected.

"You did it! You came home!"

"You knew?" Hershel asks.

Maggie didn't know if or when but she and Beth had been talking on and off ever since Beth left. Maggie wouldn't let it be, couldn't write her sister off and had given her all the lectures Hershel hadn't. Beth also had a pretty good idea at the time that Maggie was sharing at least some information with Hershel. And that had been fine with her. She had planned to be successful and prove her daddy wrong.

Only it hadn't worked out that way. But life never does.

"She didn't know for sure, only that I was thinking about it," Beth says as she and Maggie move to the table.

"You never said anything to me about it Margret!" Maggie glances over at Beth guilt coloring her cheeks.

"I- It wasn't my place to tell you, daddy. I made sure you knew she was safe and had food and a place to stay. I'm sorry Bethy, I couldn't let him worry and he was worried. Stubborn as a damn mule but worried."

"I figured you were telling him a few things. It's okay Maggie."

"I should've called you myself Beth… I should've…" Shaking his head he eyes them both. "I'm glad you're home and when you have an idea about what you want to do I am willing to listen…"

"I do have an idea…" she says gently tracing lines on the table with a fingertip, following the grain of wood the familiarity of it, all of it, her home, her father and sister and even a man and his dog, her new friends gives her a sort of peace.

They make dinner together and she tells them her tentative plans and it all seems to begin to fall into place. But of course nothing is set in stone, she's well aware of that and the plans she had before she stepped off the bus have changed, at least in her head more than once. And they'll probably keep changing in small ways here and there as she settles into a new life and an old one at the same time.

* * *

Daryl dropped Beth off at the farm, the Greene farm. A place he's been to once before. Hershel even mentioned his daughters, he remembers that. Because he asked Daryl if he had any kids. Daryl had scoffed at that. Kids had never been part of his life plan. Not that he even had a plan beyond doing what he needed to get by every day.

Beth had probably been gone less than a month at that point which would explain the farmer's odd behavior. Daryl had come to work on a tractor and the old man had wanted to have a conversation. Maybe he'd been lonely or sad. Daryl hadn't known that at the time but he'd been polite and listened, because if anything he's good at listening.

Before he left Hershel had apologized for talking his ear off and thanked him for listening to an old man's heartache.

"Children are the only people who can truly break your heart Daryl, but I wouldn't change it for anything," he'd said and Daryl had felt like he needed to respond at least to that.

"Maybe she'll come home, yer daughter."

And she had and he'd given her that ride home and damned if it all wasn't some crazy kind of voodoo as Merle would say.

That girl, that very girl that broke her daddy's heart had his beating faster at thought of maybe seeing her again, of talking and drinking coffee or a beer and maybe having dinner or something.

That's what she had said in an offhand way when she gave him her number before jumping out of his truck and running up to her daddy's front porch.

_Maybe we can have dinner or something Daryl_

"Yo Dixon! You gonna sit in your truck all day? We got appointments man!" Abraham, his boss, is rolling up the garage door on the shop they work out of when farmers bring their equipment into the shop. Most of the time they make house calls because tractors, harvesters, balers, they all seem to break down out in the fields in the middle of harvesting. And Abrahams company is the only one in the area that makes house calls so they stay busy. Abraham is kind of a dick but he's honest and fair and pays Daryl what he's worth. Maybe even more just to ensure Daryl doesn't leave.

Which he has no plans to. He enjoys his job, likes that he's on his own for the most part but doesn't hate working out of the shop with the other mechanics either.

He heads inside to his little corner and sets his thermos and lunch box on his workbench.

"How you feel about school buses?" Abraham smiles at him. The man is a menace.

"Did my best ta never fuckin' ride one, why you ask?"

"Coweta County needs a little help getting all their buses up to compliance. Too much work for their little bus garage I guess and they wanna bring in six buses for brakes."

"You want me ta do 'em all?" Daryl asks folding his arms and glaring at Abraham.

"Can ya? I'll pay ya double and I'll even give ya Dwight." Dwight is an excellent mechanic. He knows his stuff and is as much of a perfectionist as Daryl. And he loves motorcycles. So.

"Alright. When do we start?" Right then the familiar rumble of a school bus engine echoes through the shop. For as little time as he spent on them, Daryl doesn't think he'll ever not recognize the sound. As he watches two big yellow buses pull up out front.

"How's about now?" Abraham grins waggling his big orange eyebrows.

The buses and two onsite calls a few counties over keep Daryl busy all week. He's happy for the distraction because he wants to call Beth, thinks about it constantly but has no idea how to go about making that kind of a phone call.

And texting, he does that- addresses and phone numbers for jobs. Sometimes an invite from Carol to stop by for dinner. Taco Tuesday or Spaghetti Wednesday or some shit. But never has he ever sent a text to a woman.

He dials her number late one-night mid-week but quickly ends the call when he realizes he doesn't have a reason to actually call her. And what would he say? _Hey Beth how's it going? Did your dad yell at you when you came home?_

Pathetic. So he throws himself into his work and tries to ignore how much he'd like to see her again. He takes Pup to the park on Friday because he's off early and the dog has cued into Daryl's mood and taken to climbing in his lap and eyeing him warily with a weird doggy concern that kind of freaks Daryl out. This dog may not behave according to the service dog rulebook but he's exceptionally smart and Daryl feels a pang of guilt for being so grumpy.

Fall is definitely heading into winter and the crisp breeze and overcast sky have the park empty except for one other person perched on a bench. A very familiar blonde with her nose in a book. He doesn't think she's reading much though because he sees her peek over the top of the book a couple of times as he heads in her direction. He's wearing sunglasses and she has no idea he's even looking her way. Chuckling to himself he leans down and unclips Pup's leash.

It seems the dog recognizes her too and takes off at a run. This time she's prepared and she sets her book aside and wraps the big dog in a hug.

"Well hello Pup," she laughs and Daryl sits down beside her on the bench a smile itching to stretch across his face and give away just how happy he is that he conveniently ran into her.

"Hey Beth," he says letting the smile have its way. No use trying to hold it back because she's smiling at him too.

"Hi Daryl," she says shyly as she rubs Pups ears. He glances over at the book beside her.

"Ya always come to the park ta read?"

"Oh.. I have an appointment and I stopped at the library…." Raising her eyebrow she gives him a look. "You think I did this on purpose? Cause I knew you'd be here?" Her blue eyes are sparkling, challenging him.

"Course not, no way ya coulda known I'd be here."

"No cause you never called or texted or…" She's focused on Pup now but he can see the roses in her cheeks. And it's not the cold weather that caused them.

"Yeah I, uh… I ain't quite sure how all that works." He's not quite sure how any of it works or who he even is anymore. He's talking to her, teasing her a little and it strikes him that it might be kind of like flirting.

Woah. He doesn't know how to flirt. Does he?

"You said you bring Pup to the park so he can be around other people and dogs and well I thought maybe might see you here and…. Sorry, I really am pathetic aren't I?" Pup hops up on the bench and sits between them tongue hanging out looking kind of smug.

"No, ya ain't. I think I was gonna try an call ya again tonight," Daryl mumbles feeling the heat creep up his face.

"Again?"

"I, uh, I called the other night but I hung up."

"Why?" She's leaning back trying to look at him over the top of his dumb ass dog and it's awkward.

"Pup! Lie." For once the dog obeys a command on the first try. But she's still looking at him. Waiting. "I didn't know what ta say," he confesses.

"Oh. Maybe just hi?" Yeah, it would be that simple wouldn't it? Looking over at her, the breeze ruffling her hair, blonde curls spilling out from under a soft blue beanie, she's beautiful and it sounds like she came over to the park hoping to run into him. And maybe Pup too. But definitely him.

"Hi," he says softly smiling at her. This gets her giggling and she leans over Pup, kisses the damn dog right on his big wet nose. "Damn… I say hi and Pup gets the kiss. I see how it is!" More teasing or flirting and when he realizes exactly what he said, that he said it out loud he covers his face with his hands.

This is completely foreign territory as far as he's concerned. He doesn't do this, doesn't talk to people, especially beautiful girls. He's quiet and reserved and a little on the shy side and most people mistake him for being an asshole and steer clear.

Not her. He's talked to her and if he's come off as an asshole she doesn't seem to mind. She's sitting here in the park after all.

"I really do have an appointment but I came early hoping… I did it on purpose."

"Ya did?"

"I wanted to see you again. But you never called and I thought maybe I came on too strong or was reading you wrong…"

"I ain't a book girl." More teasing and now she's at a loss for words. "I woulda called ya. I wanted ta see you too."

**A/N Daryl has kind of come out of his shell on the show... this fic sort of mirrors that in the sense that this Daryl is not quite as guarded as a lot of my other 'Daryl's' are... thanks for the pre-read arrowsandangels and for help with this bit of wisdom! I hope you all liked this little chapter! I appreciate that you're here reading! And don't worry there's more to Come! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Here it is! Sorry for the delay! I already have chapter four outlined and it looks like there are a few more chapters than I first figured... I doubt anyone will complain! So we're moving right along... Beth doesn't just like Pup. But when will Daryl believe that?**

Smiling, Beth looks down at the envelope in her lap. In it is everything required to rent an apartment but she's not thinking about that. Her mind is somewhere else. Before she finally had to leave the park so she wouldn't be late for the appointment she really did have, Daryl asked her out.

_Think you might wanna get dinner with me tomorrow night?_

She hadn't answered right away because the question came out of nowhere and for a minute she thought she was hearing things. But he'd been staring right at her. Waiting. She smiled and nodded and gave him a very breathy and way too over the top,

_Yeah, I think I might._

It was romance novel worthy. And she's ridiculous!

"Beth? Beth Greene?" A man with a kind face and a nice smile is standing in front of her looking slightly concerned.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I was…" Standing she holds out her hand to him. "I'm Beth." She'd called on a rental in his building and he'd agreed to show it to her even though there's already another person in the process of being approved.

"Hi there. I'm Tobin. It's nice to meet you. If you'll just step into my office." They go over the requirements and Tobin reiterates the fact that he can only consider her if the current application is denied but he has two other units coming up for lease in the next two months so if she's interested she could get a jump on them.

Two months seems like forever. Part of her plan, which she shared with her dad and Maggie is to get her own place. She doesn't want to fall back into the comfort of being in her childhood home. And even though it had been a struggle in Nashville she got used to being on her own. Maggie has her own place so she gets it and her daddy, although a little disappointed understands or at least pretends he does for her sake and that means so much to her.

Tobin shows her the apartment that's currently empty and she immediately falls in love. There are trees out the window, this unit is the only one that has access and a view of the woods. The place practically sits in them. They finish the walkthrough and Tobin goes over the application and looks at her paperwork and shrugs.

"If I didn't have someone already in the application process I'd give you the place right now Beth! You're more organized than any other potential renter I have had come in here in years!" The compliment should make her feel good but knowing that doesn't help her out now. Tobin promises to send her a text either way.

When she leaves she glances over at the park as she drives by. Searches for a man and a dog but the winds kicked up and the sky is even darker than it was earlier and the park is empty. Daryl and Pup are long gone.

She thinks about his face again, the small smile he was wearing when he sat down next to her. And how good it felt to know that he was happy to see her. That's what she'll think about while she drives back to the farm. Not the possibility that her plans might not work how she'd like them too. At least not right away.

Daryl wasn't part of her plan, neither was dating for that matter.

Maybe the best things aren't always part of a plan.

* * *

He's changed his shirt twice and looked at himself in the mirror more times than he wants to admit even to himself. He's not really concerned with how he looks, but how Beth's daddy will see him.

And it shouldn't even fucking matter.

But it does because right now Beth is living under her father's roof and Daryl remembers that father and he was a decent man and decent men have expectations for their daughters and even if he denies it he wants to at least meet those expectations to the bare minimum if possible.

Sighing he turns away from the bathroom mirror and grabs his keys and wallet and a small pint of whiskey from his kitchen counter.

He drinks but he's not a drunk. Not like his old man had been and his big brother used to be. He just has a few when he needs to cope. Which probably puts him in the category of 'potential alcoholic'. But he can live with that.

Pup whines as he watches Daryl. The dog is perceptive. He knows Daryl is leaving and he also knows he's not invited.

"Sorry boy, 'm flying solo tonight. No dogs allowed where I'm going." Scratching the dogs head he glances over at his water dish, makes sure it's full then heads out to his truck. He washed it even though rain is in the forecast. Even cleaned out the interior although it was pretty clean already. He's done a lot of things today that he doesn't normally do if only to keep himself busy so he doesn't think too hard about this…

Going to pick Beth up and take her on a date.

A date. Daryl Dixon is going on a date. It's a secret he's kept to himself so if he fucks it up completely no one but he and Beth will know.

Blowing out a frustrated breath he steers the truck with one hand and opens the whiskey with the other. He takes a big gulp relishing the burn and shoves the bottle in the glove box.

Before he knows it he's at the farm and then he's at the door and Hershel isn't even anywhere around. It's just Beth in jeans that fit like the gloves he doesn't have in his glove box and a little leather jacket topped with a soft pink scarf. It's definitely colder than he realized. He hadn't been paying any attention to the weather when he left his place. But he has on his leather jacket too and there's the heater in the truck and just being near her makes him warm all over.

"Hey, Daryl!" She smiles and kind of bounces on her toes and then he's following her down the porch steps and back out to his truck and the entire pick-up, the one he was so nervous and stressed out over takes less than two minutes tops.

He's kicking himself though, for letting her get to the passenger door first. He should've opened it for her, that was one of the things he had mentally gone over, holding doors and pulling out chairs and just being over the top gentlemanly. Until he figures out if that's what he's supposed to do.

Because he's clueless.

And another thing he thinks about as he watches her buckle herself in her cheeks flushed as pink as the scarf she's wearing, is what in the hell does a girl as pretty as her see in him?

"You okay Daryl?" Shifting into reverse he clears his throat and starts backing up.

"Sorry, I just kinda forgot what I was doing," he mumbles sheepishly.

"Forgot you were driving or-"

" 'S just… you look real pretty." He hears himself talking and he cringes at how incredibly ridiculous he sounds. But Beth is smiling so maybe it's okay, sounding like a big dork.

"Thank you, Daryl. You look real nice too." He'd worn a new pair of jeans he had hanging in his closet and a flannel over his clean t-shirt. He even washed and sort of dried his hair. Insanity. All for her. Well that and the fact that he's taking her to an actual restaurant where they probably have cloth napkins and five different forks that will confuse the hell out of him but he wants to take her somewhere special.

"Thanks. Ya hungry?" he asks. He didn't eat much and now that he's thinking about the rest of the night and food he's hoping the place he picked out has good food.

"I am. I helped my daddy with a few things around the farm and completely blew off lunch!" He wonders exactly what she did. She's a farmers daughter and a few things come to mind. All cliches and all inappropriate. Thank god she can't read minds.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?"

"I lost you again… just wonder what you're thinking about?" Swallowing he forces a smile and shakes his head.

"Jus' hoping you'll like the place picked. It's new, I ain't never been there. Ya like Italian food?"

"I like spaghetti." _I like you, _he thinks to himself.

"Guess that works."

"I'm good with anything Daryl." He kind of figured she'd say that so he teases a little because her smile and pink cheeks make him feel good.

"Damn I coulda just cooked up some squirrel." He likes squirrel okay. But he wouldn't cook it for her. Not on their first date.

"Oh? Um, I think spaghetti is fine. I don't want to put you out." Then she does something he doesn't expect, she unbuckles her seat belt and scoots over next to him, close enough so their legs are pressed together and she pulls the belt across her lap and elbows him. "You feed me squirrel and I might just save all my kisses for Pup," she says it softly like she's kind of unsure if she should say it all and he doesn't have any idea what to do with it anyway.

"Pup don' brush his teeth. Ever. At least I got that going for me. Even if ya don' wanna try my squirrel." This makes her laugh and it's better than her smile and he even laughs with her and it's perfect. Better than he ever could have imagined.

He actually might pull this off.

* * *

Her daddy had a meeting, something to do with the Georgia Better Business Bureau. She'd been through the whole introducing dad to a boy but Daryl isn't a boy and she's been doing her own thing for the past two years so she wasn't disappointed when Hershel said he was heading out. She didn't even tell him she was going on a date.

She will eventually but for now, it's hers, the knowledge that her heart can still beat fast over a man. A man. He's quiet and brooding and probably doesn't even realize how good looking he is. He doesn't seem like the type to care about that kind of thing. But he put some effort into it tonight, she can see that and she wonders if it was just for her. She wants to slide her arms inside his jacket where she's sure it's warm and run her fingers through his hair that looks so soft.

After everything, she's been through something as simple as attraction is huge.

She wanted to scoot over next to him she first got in the truck, but nerves held her back until he started teasing her. That made it easy somehow. And it was so much better teasing him back while she was sitting so close.

It's brand new, this thing between them but it's also something else like with Pup, Daryl is more than just a random guy she met in a park, isn't he? Glancing over at him as he pulls into the parking lot of a fancy looking restaurant she wonders how old he is, what his house looks like if he likes sunsets or prefers sunrises and if he wants to kiss her as much as she wants to kiss him.

Things start to go bad the minute they walk into the restaurant. The hostess behind the podium is snapping her gum and instead of greeting them she makes a beeline for the swinging doors that lead back to the kitchen. Then she seats a couple that comes in after them and heads back to the kitchen again.

Beth knew Daryl was frustrated the first time she left them standing there. This time he's flat out irritated. Resting a hand on the small of her back he nudges her forward.

"Com'on, we ain't waitin'." They're heading toward a little table in the back when a waiter, at least she thinks he's a waiter, waves at them and stops them before they get to the table.

"You need to wait for the hostess to seat you. We have a process," he says airily.

"Yeah well, yer process sucks. We been waitin' and yer hostess ain't doing her job." Daryl growls. He doesn't mention the other couple. They were elderly and the man was using a cane and the fact that she seated them first isn't Daryl's issue. Beth's sure of that. The hostess comes rushing over and tries to make a weak excuse about an order mix up and the man with a cane and the two of them are arguing as Daryl pulls out Beth's chair and scoots her in leaning close to whisper in her ear,

"Wanna make a bet on who throws the first punch?" She can't speak, not a word because his warm breath on her neck stole her voice and his lips are so close… Daryl seats himself and seems to be checking out the silverware with an odd intensity.

"Look Jan if you don't want this job…"

"You can't fire me, Matt my uncle owns this place so-"

"Then how about we go talk-"

"Hey, yo! Think we could get some drinks here?" Beth decides then and there that she likes this surly authoritative Daryl. For the most part anyway. She doesn't like the anxious look she sees in his eyes and the way he keeps glancing over at her like he's afraid she's gonna bolt. The waiter and the hostess stop arguing and look at them like they're surprised to see them there.

"Of course… what can I get you?" the waiter asks. Daryl nods at Beth to go first.

"Oh, just ice water with lemon please."

"I'll take a Guinness."

"Would you like a glass with that?" Daryl glares at him.

"Nah."

"Alright. Coming right up." He turns to go and Beth hears him snap at the hostess. "Think you can manage a water Jan? Or is that too much to ask?"

Daryl huffs out a breath once their gone and his smile is more of a grimace than anything else.

"I'm starting ta think this wasn' a good choice," he mumbles. He's fidgeting with the napkin and all Beth wants to do is make it okay.

"I'm sure it'll be fine Daryl, it's-" Her phone dings in her purse interrupting her. "I, I'm expecting a text from the apartment manager at a place I looked at… I'm sorry Daryl, I'm just gonna-" Daryl nods and this time his smile although small is real.

" 'S fine… go on."

_I'm sorry Beth, the other application cleared. But I really hope you'll consider the other units I have. I'd love to have you as a tenant._

She knew this was a possibility, expected it, even so, the heavy feeling in her chest and the lump on her throat are there regardless and she blinks back tears. Sometimes the plan doesn't go the way you want it to. She tucks her phone back in her purse and avoids looking up at Daryl for a second.

" 'S everything alright?" When she does finally look, he's leaning forward with those blue eyes that mesmerized her in the park and she's embarrassed by her reaction to the text, crying over a place she never really had, but she liked it. It felt right like him and coming home.

"I didn't get it. I knew I probably wouldn't but- there'll be others." Wiping her eyes quickly she sits back in her chair as the hostess plops a glass in front of her and a bottle in front of Daryl. The water is just that, water. No ice. No lemon.

"She asked fer ice and lemon Jan." Daryl's voice isn't just surly, it's angry. But his use of the hostess' name makes Beth giggle and the tears she was wiping away keep coming and he mistakes them for something else.

"Hey Beth, it's alright, com'on yer gonna find a place-" The anger disappears and for her, there's just concern.

"It's not that... It's okay really…" Jan comes back and sets another glass in front of Beth with two small ice cubes and a miniscule slice of lemon and that's the final straw for Daryl. He stands up pushing his chair back so hard it falls over and he glares at the hostess.

"My girl asked fer ice water and lemon… What the hell is this? Com'on Beth, we ain't stayin'." He reaches for her hand and none of it even matters, not the wait to be seated or the unprofessional staff, not even the pathetic glass of water.

Because Daryl called her, 'my girl'. No one has ever called her that. Not even her daddy. And the way it made her feel… Sniffling she weaves her fingers through his and lets him lead her out of the restaurant.

* * *

All things considering he thinks that he did a hell of a job staying in control. He'd been itching to punch someone, anyone for the horrible way they were treated and the fact that anyone mess up Beth's order, even if it was just water. But since Jan's a girl and Matt the waiter mysteriously disappeared he'll have to be satisfied with causing a scene and hopefully irritating the other customers so they don't leave a tip.

Opening the passenger door he waits while Beth gets in. She's still sniffling a little and he hands her the cloth napkin from the table.

"You took the napkin?" She's holding it in her hand and the sparkle in her eye makes it all worthwhile.

"They owed us somethin'." He gives her a minute to do whatever she's going to do which amounts to nothing except dab at her eyes and smile at him. The smile is a good thing. "Ya good?" She nods and he closes the door and walks around to the driver's side. Before he starts the truck he pulls out his phone and taps on his favorites. He has a couple. And quite possibly a new one... She's sitting right beside him.

"Rhee, think I could pick up a pizza in like ten minutes?"

He feels Beth's eyes on him and without thinking he reaches over and takes her hand. Like it's no big deal… like he does it all the time.

"Alright make it a large cheese with," Squeezing her hand he looks at her, " whada ya like on yer pizza?"

"Um, anything is fine Daryl really-"

"Nah, it's yer call or I'm gettin' anchovies." As long as he can keep her smiling this date might turn out okay.

"No, no, no anchovies! Olives and mushrooms!" Okay, that's not too bad but he has to have some kind of meat. He just does.

"Care if I add sausage?" He can hear Glenn asking who he's talking to if he's on a date if he paid for a date…

"You can add anything except anchovies," she laughs, "or squirrel!"

He finishes the order and tucks his phone back in his pocket.

"Wait was that Rhee's pizza?" Beth asks.

"Yeah, ya know it?"

"My sister is dating Glenn Rhee!"

"He's my pizza guy. Never does me wrong." Daryl starts up the truck and they head out. She's quiet. Thinking maybe. Wishing she'd just stayed home probably.

"You've met my daddy, you know Glenn- weird," she says scrunching up her nose.

" 'S small town girl."

"Yes it is, but Daryl there's still the park and Pup."

"What? Ya think this is all some kinda fate or destiny bullshit?" He realizes it's little harsh, the way he said because maybe she does believe in that kind of stuff. It's not the worst thing in the world to believe in.

"I don't know… maybe a little. I think things happen for a reason sometimes. Don't you?" Even if he didn't, which he does because Hershel told him about her long before he knew her and now she's in his truck and she's sweet and pretty and likes him, but even he didn't believe in it he'd try just because she seems to think it matters.

"Guess I do. But tell me this, whas' the reason fer such a bad first date?" Bad as in the restaurant sucked, she got a text that made her sad…

"Just means we need a second one to try again." Well. He's a believer now. "And this one isn't ever yet. We still have pizza."

"Yeah, we still got pizza. Pup likes the crusts." He'll take her back to his place and she can hang out with him and Pup and they can eat pizza maybe watch a movie or something. "Sorry, ya didn't get yer spaghetti."

"I don't need fancy restaurants, Daryl. Next time we should go somewhere dogs are allowed. People who like dogs are always nice people."

Next time. He's got a second date and Pup can be his wingman.

**A/N I don't know about all of you, but I happen to think the best dates take place far away from fancy restaurants! The date started off kind of rocky. Will it get better or could it possibly get even worse? Stay tuned! Thanks for all the love! And for reading and commenting and reviewing! It really makes writing so much better!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Beth's got a secret. It may or may not be a game changer for future dates. In the meantime, Daryl is faced with his true feelings about Pup.**

"Are you gonna tell Maggie?"

Glenn gazes at Beth innocently enough but his bright red cheeks are a dead giveaway. Of course, he's gonna tell Maggie. The guy absolutely cannot keep a secret. Everyone who knows him is aware of that fact.

"Um…"

Daryl's at the salad bar getting banana peppers, his favorite topping for pizza besides meat. That's what Glenn told her. She looks nervously over at Glenn then leans forward her palms pressed flat on the countertop.

"You can tell her. I, I didn't tell my daddy I had a date so you're the only one who knows." She'd thought about calling Maggie but she hadn't felt like answering a bunch of questions and to be honest she wasn't worried, hadn't even been thinking along those lines. Not much anyway and really not until now.

But no one knew where she was and staying safe, making sure she's safe became something she had to think about and do when she was on her own. That's all this is.

"Can you tell her?" It's more of a 'please tell her for me' and Glenn knows that. He also knows the reason why and although he can't keep a secret he knows some things are sacred and this, what Beth is saying without so many words, is one of those things.

"Sure, I'll tell her you came by with your date who happens to be one of my favorite customers." He gets it, she can tell by the way his eyes held her and his kind smile. "But Beth, Daryl is a good guy. He's not, well he's not like your past okay?" Glenn is also honest, sometimes blatantly so. Beth gives him a tight smile and nods as Daryl joins them.

"I think this is like only the second time that you've actually come in to pick up your pizza," Glenn says sliding the box over to Daryl.

"Jus' means I ain't gotta tip ya." Daryl grunts.

"Ha ha.. Like you ever tip me anyway." Glenn rings up their tag and takes Daryl's money handing him the cash.

" 'S true, " Daryl chuckles glancing over at Beth. Something crosses his face as he looks at her. She smiles at him and moves to take the pizza. Glenn didn't have to say anything about Daryl being a good guy. She knows that, knew it that day in the park which was why she'd asked him to coffee. Well that and the fact that she wanted to know more about him. She didn't want to just leave their meeting there in the park and never see him again.

She hasn't dated. For a long time. And the reasons why are ones she hasn't looked at also for a very long time. Even now she's side eyeing them and wishing them away. But they're there and regardless of how amazing Daryl seems to be she has to do things a certain way, it's just the way it is.

Hopefully, it won't end up ruining everything.

The drive to his place is quiet. He senses her change in mood, she saw his face in the pizza place. He also just seems like he's very intuitive.

"This is what I missed," she says quietly as the road opens up and the trees fall away giving her an uninterrupted view of the sky. He doesn't say anything so she keeps talking. "The stars, I could always see them from home but not in Nashville. You forget how much the little things mean until you don't have them anymore."

"I lived in a place in Atlanta for a few months. Too close ta neighbors and too far away from the woods and places like this. Probably still be able ta see the stars even if yer living in town." Because their town is tiny. He gets it. When he mentioned his home and how he lived on the outskirts of town she got the feeling he felt like she did. There's just something better about being out where wild is the woods and not loud bars and people and lights.

"This pizza smells really good." Her stomach agrees and she's thankful for the rumble of his truck because they've been quietly driving along and if he heard her tummy growl she'd die of embarrassment. But whatever the mood was a minute ago they chased it away with their talk about where they like to live.

"Sure ya ain't gonna miss that spaghetti?"

"Not a chance Daryl."

He wasn't kidding when he said his house was on the outskirts of town. It's right in the middle of the woods. Climbing out of the truck Beth looks around. They're surrounded by trees and the night and even though it reminds her of the farm the only similarities are the fact that it's out in the middle of nowhere. Of course, her nowhere is farmland. Daryl's nowhere is more like the wild she sometimes craves, more like him.

"Told ya it was out here. Com'on." She can hear Pup barking already.

"I bet he loves it out here." She takes the pizza from him so he can unlock the door.

"Yeah, he does. Usually, leave 'em out but he knew I was going somewhere and I didn'' want him to try and follow me," Daryl says.

"Does he do that?" Daryl has the door unlocked but before he opens it he looks at her a smirk on his face.

"Nah, not usually but I think he knew I was going ta see you." He leaves her standing on the front porch. Butterflies, the biggest cliche in the world, that's what he left her with. That and a little guilt for feeling the anxiety that she still can't shake completely.

Pup noses the door open and his toenails click on the wood porch and his butt wags along with his tail as he sniffs at her feet and whines a little.

"Come on boy we better get some of that pizza before Daryl eats it all!" Scratching his ears she pushes the door open and goes inside.

* * *

Daryl watches her as she pets Pup and surreptitiously looks around his living room. Checking it out, sizing it up, looking for an escape route… Maybe. Something happened when they were picking up the pizza. There was something in her eyes and he got a weird vibe. It wasn't a good one, but not necessarily bad either. It was like she was nervous. Even Glenn was a little off.

But this is their first date and he doesn't even know how to approach that because maybe it's just him. So he'll ignore it and proceed as planned. Without a plan.

He carries a couple of plates over to the couch and sets them on the small table there. She looks up and smiles.

"Daryl this place is like-"

"It ain't much."

"What? It's amazing! Right in the middle of the woods. The apartment I was looking at was like almost in the woods. Right out my front door. Which is why I was so let down. But I'll find something else…" Her attitude is upbeat even if he can still see the sadness in her eyes.

"You can come visit whenever ya want," he mumbles then turns away mentally kicking himself for being such a dumbass.

"I'd like that." He turns and she's settled on the couch so he passes her plate.

"I got water, beer, some milk I think but it might be bad…"

They eat in in relative quiet. Every once in awhile tossing Pup a crust and listening to him chew with his horrible dog manners.

"So what do you do out here all by yourself?" she asks as she licks pizza sauce off of her fingers. He watches mesmerized then clears his throat when he remembers he needs to answer her question to save himself from looking like an idiot.

"I hunt some. Fish. If ya go far enough back there's a river that runs close ta the property line. I work on my bike and stuff. Jus' like the quiet."

"It's kind of like the farm. The pond and the barn loft. Places to escape too. I also loved the woods, walking and listening to birds. It's peaceful." He nods because he agrees and because he doesn't know what to say. She feels the same way he does. He's never met another person, definitely not a female who understood what he saw in wild places. Even Merle, who likes hunting and camping and enjoys the woods doesn't quite get it.

They finish up and Daryl excuses himself and runs out to his truck. He comes back in with the little pint of whiskey and grabs a shot glass then sits back down next to Beth on the couch. Her eyes are on the bottle and then on him as he holds out the shot glass.

"Want a shot?" She doesn't even say anything just shakes her head. He holds the bottle and small glass for the beat of a second then sits them both on the table. He doesn't take a drink and he feels his heart sink as she moves from beside him on the couch to the floor next to Pup. She's rubbing the dog's nose and talking to him in a soft voice but he can see the way her shoulders are hunched and her legs are crossed, protecting herself.

Fear. That's what he saw earlier and just now. Fear in her eyes. Just a flash but it was there and it makes him think of being little and afraid and how he'd curl his body into a ball, making it small so maybe he wouldn't be seen or found.

Then he'd found what he had outside his back door. His family had been living in a shithole outside of Atlanta back then but the woods weren't all that far and he faced down monsters bigger than a bunch of trees in his own house. Out there he found a quiet place where no one yelled or hit and he taught himself how to survive there too.

And he could breathe and it was safe.

"Wanna take Pup fer a walk?" he asks tentatively hoping his instincts prove him right.

"What?" Her eyes are wide and beside her Pup is paying attention. The word walk is definitely one of his triggers, a good one. Unlike bath which has the opposite effect. He tries to disappear. Under the couch, out the front door, sometimes he just ignores Daryl completely pretending like he didn't hear his least favorite word.

"I take him out sometimes at night. He likes it… we like it." Daryl shrugs.

"Oh…" For a second he's afraid he might have gotten it wrong but she smiles and he feels everything in him go soft. "Yeah, I wanna do that."

He grabs his crossbow and doesn't have to whistle, Pup's waiting by the door. Beth follows him out and around the back of the house. There's a chill in the air. And he glances over at her as she falls in beside him. She grabbed her scarf which was probably a good idea. If her hands get cold maybe she'll let him hold one or not. He can't figure out what's got her acting scared. He could ask and he might. Just not yet. She's walking close bumping against his arm and he doesn't want it to stop that whether it's on purpose or completely innocent he likes that she's close enough to touch him.

"You always bring your crossbow out with you?" He does. It's second nature for him. But maybe she thinks it's weird or maybe it even frightens her a little bit. She asked though and he wants to explain why. There are a couple of other things he wants to say too.

"Yeah, usually. I guess it's a habit." It's dark but the moon is full and he can see her somewhat in its light. There are also the stars and while he's well aware of the fact that their light is minimal he won't let that stop him from believing she's bathed in it, starlight, moonlight all of it. She's beautiful and whatever is going on, whatever it is that's got her on edge, he wants to make it go away.

"Are you afraid to be out here without it?" Afraid? He'd like to think he's not afraid of anything but it isn't true. He's afraid of plenty. There's a difference between being afraid and being brave though.

"Nah, not really. I spent more time than most people in the woods. Was kinda like my second home. I felt safer there than in my own home."

"I can kind of understand that."

"My dad was a drunk piece of shit, beat my mama up until she died. Beat me and my brother too. We lived by the woods and one day I'd had enough and I just took off running. I was just a little kid but I figured any monsters I might find in there would be kittens compared ta my old man. Found a place where it was quiet and safe,"

A place where the rules never changed.

"I taught myself ta survive out there, out here. 'S where I go when nothin' else is right."

"You taught yourself to hunt?" He nods remembering his first bow and how he'd had to repair it again and again.

"Found a crossbow in a dumpster and I fixed it up until I could save up enough ta buy a new one. Course I set traps too and I took a rifle, a 22 from a neighbor's shed. Kept it hidden in a burned out tree." Daryl chuckles but Beth isn't laughing or smiling.

"You lived out there? In the woods? How old were you?" She looks like she doesn't believe him or doesn't want too.

"About seven the first time." Seven. For Beth being seven probably meant running to a mama and a daddy who protected her instead of hurt her, who took care of her and made sure she was warm and fed and loved. They weren't the monsters under the bed. Beth probably had a mama and daddy who chased those monsters away. At least he hopes that's what she had.

"You… slept out there and… how long?" Uncomfortable with where the conversation is going now Daryl just shrugs.

"Depended on what kind bender my old man was on. Ain't no big deal. I learned ta love it. Still do."

"I'm sorry Daryl." He hates pity, doesn't want anyone feeling bad for him but it's different coming from her. It's not pity. It's sadness and he guesses he can deal with her being sad. But that's not his intention.

"I found a way to make the best of the hand I was dealt. 'S why I bought this place. Got the woods all around me."

"And it makes you feel safe." It's not a question. She knows.

"Everybody's gotta have a safe place." He doesn't have time to even guess if he got his point across. Pup ran ahead like he always does. So him barking in the distance isn't a big surprise until there's another bark and Daryl knows right off the bat it isn't a dog. When the barking turns vicious and is followed by snarls and yelps he takes his crossbow in hand and follows the trail his dog took. Beth follows behind, he can hear her and he tries not to think about all reasons he should tell her not to come with him and focuses on finding Pup.

There's a clearing up ahead with a fallen tree that's rotting away and that's where he finds Pup and a coyote rolling around. The wild dog senses them and with one final snarl, it latches onto Pups leg and shakes it's head vigorously.

There's just enough time for Daryl to send a bolt flying making his shot count and hitting the coyote right in the shoulder. It's a clean shot and it's lethal. He learned that by trial and error. Watching an animal die slowly can get to even the toughest hunters, but to a little boy who bears the scars of physical violence, it's torture.

Beth passes him up and is at Pup's side before Daryl can even warn her off. She's smart though and he's thankful for that. She knows that even the best pets can lash out at the people they love when they're hurt and scared. She kneels down a couple of feet away from Pup and keeping her voice low and soft she moves in slowly.

Pup's front leg is mangled. Maybe even broke in a few places and a lump forms in Daryl's throat. It's bad. Maybe even too bad. Beth has her scarf off and she's wrapping it around the injured leg. Her pretty pink scarf that complimented her flushed cheeks. It's ruined now. And for what?

"Ya ain't gotta do that," Daryl says gruffly.

"We need to wrap it so we can take him in-"

"Ain't no point."

"What?" She looks up at him from where she's kneeling and Pup whines his eyes on Daryl.

" 'S bad. Nothing we can do-"

"Nothing we can do? Are you serious?!" If he thought she was beautiful when she was smiling, she's fucking gorgeous when she's pissed. And she is. At him. "Pick him up right now and let's get him to my daddy's office." Tucking the ends of the scarf in as best she can she stands up and stares him down and he knows she's daring him to defy her.

"Beth…" It's soft and sad and maybe that's the clincher for her. Her eyes well up and she bites her bottom lip.

"I'm a veterinarian even if I don't have the degree to prove it yet and I can fix this, I can save him and maybe even his leg Daryl, please…" The tears do it for him. He won't let her cry. Not over this or him or whatever else it is that's making her sad and scared. He'll carry his fucking dog to the ends of the earth for her if that's what she asks him to do.

Throwing his crossbow over his shoulder he goes to Pup and squats behind him. Beth joins him and before he leans in to pick up the dog he reaches across the space between them and uses his thumb to wipe away her tears. Then he gently slides his hands under his dog.

" 'M sorry buddy… 's gonna hurt." Pup does whimper and even squirms a little but Beth settles him down and they get him back to the house and Daryl's truck and with a little bit of ingenuity, they manage to get him in the cab without hurting him much.

With Beth keeping Pup's body still Daryl follows her directions to her dad's office. His heart's aching but hope's burning there too.

* * *

Pup is sleeping peacefully on the exam table thanks to a sedative. When they first brought him in he was agitated and they both had to hold him down while Beth administered the shot. Then it was smooth sailing. Once she cleaned the wound Beth was happy to find the bones of the leg intact and very little tearing to the tendons. She shaved him and stitched him up, thirty-three stitches, all with Daryl leaning over her shoulder watching.

That had been the best part. Not only was he close but she knew he was upset and didn't want to lose his dog. She could see that in the truck the way he kept looking over at Pup and reaching over to smooth his hand over the dog's body. Being able to tell Daryl that it wasn't as bad as it looked and then show him step by step because the man refused to walk away, he watched it all, made her feel good.

When she was finally done but before she went to clean up he'd stepped up behind her. Closer than he'd been and it felt incredibly right. None of her stupid anxiety came along to ruin it. She'd relished in his warmth and let herself feel it.

"Yer gonna make a damn fine vet woman." Whether it was the words or his close proximity or their conversation in the woods earlier, she has no clue but this might be the most erotic thing she's ever been told.

They'd both been blushing as she cleaned up and put Pup in one of the kennels for post-op recovery. By that time a watery light is turning the blinds in the windows a washed out shade of blue as morning comes creeping in.

They've been in this little room all night.

"The morning staff will be here soon Daryl. If you want to go home I can update them on Pup and get a ride-"

"I ain't leaving ya here. I can wait. If ya want me too. Sides I can't end the date without taking ya home." His wry smile and soft look stir up those butterflies. Stupid cliche but so incredibly true.

"You sure?" He nods and crosses the room to sit on the floor beside the kennel Pup is snoozing in. She follows and joins him. Not because he expects her too or she thinks she should but because she wants too.

"Ya gonna tell me what happened?"

She figured this was coming but her fear is like a little bird in a heart-shaped cage and a big orange cat is creeping up. She tells the bird to look away. The bars are there, nothing can get it.

"What do you mean?" She knows obviously but there's a certain way things like this go. And she hasn't quite found the words yet. She doesn't have to tell him anything, she isn't obligated. But he saw that frightened little bird she tries to keep calm in her chest and it was like he connected with it, with her. It was like he understood without even knowing the why. And he opened the door and walked with her in the woods and told her without telling her exactly how to let that little bird fly free.

A scared little boy with a backpack and a broken crossbow.

Out there he could breathe.

So he took her out there so she could breathe too.

He told her what hurt him. He trusted her with that. She can trust him. She knew it from that very first day in the park. He's the first man she's felt anything for and she feels a whole lot. And she doesn't want what she's feeling to end because she's afraid.

"I, I met a guy at a show. It was right after I moved to Nashville. I was so excited and had already played a couple of open mic nights. So when I met this guy, who was also a musician it felt right you know?" He nods and listens even though she's pretty sure he doesn't know. "I… I went against my better judgment and went home with him. I wasn't drinking, but he was and things got out of control. He- he forced himself on me but I fought him and I was lucky…" Swallowing she looks down at her lap, spreads her hands on her thighs. She had been so incredibly lucky after being so stupid.

"He didn't…" Daryl won't even use any of the words that are used to describe a situation like this. He won't say them but she knows he's thinking them and he looks angry and his anger makes her brave.

"His roommate walked in, he, Noah that's his name, he stopped it. Pulled him off me and threw him on the floor." They'd fought. Yelling, screaming. Beth had tried to leave but Noah had stopped her, told her she needed to report it. Ryan, the guy who did it apologized over and over, blamed it on being drunk swore he'd never touch her again. She'd been scared, worried about what her daddy would say so she told Ryan if he came anywhere near her she'd go to the cops.

She knew the next day it had been pathetic and she thought about calling the cops more than once but she never did. Ryan held her down with his hands and body but he hadn't done anything else. Noah took her home that night and he came back to check up on her, tried to convince her to tell. '_He could've done more Beth! What if I hadn't walked in?'_ But she refused, kept on refusing. He'd taken her to get a restraining order but neither of them ever knew if it had been served because Ryan took off the next day. Packed everything and left. Noah started hanging around the places she did open mic nights at. He was her friend, the only one she had and when she started talking about going home he'd encouraged her.

She hadn't told Maggie until months later when she was sitting crossed legged on her bathroom floor with a razor in her hand and a thin red line that was beading up like a ruby bracelet. It scared her enough for her to pick up her phone and call her sister.

The cut was superficial. A way to feel something other than what she'd been feeling. Maggie begged her to come home, threatened to tell their daddy. She never had. But her and Glenn started coming out most weekends until Beth knew it was time to go home.

"Shoulda told-" That anger is still there, she can hear it in Daryl's voice.

"I know." Her voice is small. Small like time has turned and she's back there in her bathroom afraid and confused and alone.

She isn't alone though. Not anymore. She's home with her family and she has a bright future and she has this, a man, a good man who's her friend and maybe more. She hopes more. She's not afraid for it to be more.

Her heart-shaped cage has a door and Daryl opened it and set the little bird free.

**A/N This got really heavy and while I don't agree with Beth's decision not to go to the cops that's not what this story is about. And unfortunately, I can count on more than one hand women who walked away without making that call. Myself included. **

**Anyway… I took liberties with the coyote and Daryl's kill shot and Pup's wound and will continue to take liberties with all the things that come after. Like healing time and quarantine and all that jazz! My posting schedule kind of changed and it's Wednesday instead of Tuesday again…. Please don't shoot me, guys! It's fiction! It will always be posted just maybe not on Tuesday! Thanks for reading! And go one and leave a note even if you want to yell at me! A little...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N A little change in my posting schedule… this fic will post weekly. I'm crazy busy right now and when I add the pressure of a post date I lose my mojo. And the story matters more than the schedule! Anyway here's this weeks update! If you are in the US and celebrating Happy 4th! **

"I'd never hurt ya, Beth."

It's been quiet for so long. Just their breathing and the soft snoring from the kennel where Pup lies sleeping. Beth's been dozing, that place between sleep and awake where everything feels surreal. She opens her eyes her head resting against his arm. Time slowed down when she was talking and it hasn't quite caught back up yet.

She heard him though… And what he said and the way he shifted just a little bringing her closer to him. It's real.

"I know that."

"Jus' needed ta say it. Don' want ya thinkin' I'd ever… I wouldn't, I ain't…" It hurts to listen to him struggle with this because it's something so personal for him too. She knows that now, he told her his own story. But she's also touched that he wants to make sure she knows who he isn't even if she doesn't quite know who he is yet.

This is still new. As new as it can be when you just shared your deepest darkest secrets.

Because that's what they did. Isn't it? No way would she have ever imagined herself doing that with anyone.

But she did it with him.

They both jump when they hear keys and the click of the lock.

"Hello?" It's her daddy's voice. Glancing over at Daryl she shrugs.

"That's my dad. Daddy? We're back here."

* * *

Daryl had been prepared to meet Hershel last night when he picked up Beth. Dressed nicely, hair combed, hands clean. But now?

It's early in the morning, way too early to still be on a first date. And now they're both a mess. The blood washed off their hands but both his and Beth's shirts are ruined. Blood's drying dark and stiff where they'd held Pup. And of course, that's the first thing her daddy's gonna see.

"Bethy? What's going on? Why are you-" He takes in her bloodied clothing and then his gaze lands on Daryl but only for a second before he spots Pup in the kennel.

"This is my friend Daryl. His dog was attacked last night and I had him bring him here."

"Attacked? By what?"

"A coyote."

"A coyote? In town? What did you…" Beth explains everything and Daryl stands back and listens. He can see the fear change to pride on Hershel's face as she tells him about the injury and how she treated it.

"You could've called me-"

"I would've but once I cleaned him up and saw that it wasn't as bad as I first assumed I just did it myself."

"Of course you did. She was born to do this Daryl." Daryl looks away from Beth only to realize that he's been staring at her while she talks and points and brushes the hair from her face. Breathes. She's beautiful and she might love making music, but it's evident she's got a talent for taking care of animals too.

"Uh, seems like it. She took good care of my dog, was pretty amazing ta watch."

"Yellow labs. They're good dogs."

"Guess so. Didn't really have a choice. I kinda got stuck with him. But he probably thinks the same about me."

"Was he a stray or something?"

"Nah, guide dog school drop-out. Couldn't cut it." Hershel's laughter is welcome. And it makes the whole situation seem normal which is absolutely not the case.

"Dogs, just like people, are temperamental. We can't always expect them to obey our every command. Some of them have their own ideas." The implication isn't lost on Daryl. He sees Hershel smiling over at Beth and a blush on her pretty face. It's not lost on her either.

"I figured he was a goner. Injury seemed too bad ta waste anytime on."

"Uh huh. Seems like my daughter had other ideas." Hershel's still smiling. It's a nice smile and even though she's embarrassed Beth is smiling too.

"So you were on a date with my daughter?" Here it comes, the dad part that he thought he'd been lucky enough to get out of. Before he can respond Hershel starts talking again. "You're my tractor guy? You came out right after-"

"I left," Beth says blushing harder.

"I think I might have even told you about my daughter. Huh, small world." He has the same look on his face as Beth when she was thinking about the fact that Daryl knew her daddy. Weird.

It's all definitely weird but Hershel seems like a nice guy and he hasn't chased Daryl off yet. So there's that.

By then the office out front is getting busy. More than one person has come through the door and Daryl thinks he hears a duck quack.

"Daddy was that a duck?" Beth asks peeking down the hall.

"Yes, Mrs. Miller and her duck Lucille. Seems Lucille has indigestion because she hasn't been eating." Hershel shakes his head.

"It's seven o'clock in the morning! Ya always this busy?" Daryl asks.

"Not always, no. And I'll be better off when I have another employee!" He winks at Beth. "I've got surgery on a cat this morning but you can take my truck back to the house."

"That's okay sir, I ah, I'll take her. I picked her up fer a date last night, least I can do is get her back home." Daryl is completely serious but the old man is smiling at him.

"I appreciate that Daryl. And someone will let you know when Pup is ready to go home."

They leave Hershel to prep for surgery and head back out through the office. There is a duck in the waiting room, they weren't hearing things. It's in a basket on a woman's lap and Daryl can't help but stare. Across from the duck is a man with a carrier and inside is a black cat. The cat is staring at the duck and Daryl finds it slightly amusing, all of it, the office and these people and their pets. And his dog bandaged up and snoring in the back room.

It all started in the park cause he took his dog for a walk to socialize him.

_I think things happen for a reason sometimes. Don't you?_

It's getting harder and harder not to believe that there's something going on… Some crazy voodoo shit. That doesn't mean he won't take it upon himself to work for what he wants though. And what he wants is Beth in his life and to be in hers, if she'll let him.

"Wanna get breakfast," he asks after they're in the truck and the heater is starting to warm up the cold cab.

"We're kind of a mess," she says looking down at her shirt that's stiff with dried blood. It's a pretty shirt too and it's ruined. Maybe he can buy her another one or something like it.

"Yeah." He's not ready to let her go just yet. And the way she's looking at him it could be entirely possible she's not ready to let go either.

"Do you have a shirt I can borrow?" she blinks up at him. She's got to be worn out, him too, but there's a little spark in her eye and it's contagious.

"Uh, prolly be a dress on ya." And there's a very good chance it might just do him in seeing her in one of his t-shirts.

"I'll make it work."

She absolutely does make it work. There's a knot pulling the shirt tight against her tummy. It's emblazoned with the Helping Paws logo, the organization that Pup came from. He planned on just using as a work shirt but when he pulled it out of the drawer figured she'd appreciate it and it makes sense on her in more ways than one. Her leather jacket probably isn't ruined but it will need to be cleaned so he yanks a thick flannel off a hanger in his closet for her to wear too. It swallows her up in the best way possible even with the cuffs rolled up.

He's a little tongue-tied when she comes out of the bathroom and for a second they just stare at one another.

"You ready?" she asks. He nods but doesn't move, takes another second to just admire his clothes on her tiny form.

"Thanks, fer taking care of Pup. He's a pain in the ass but he's my friend. Ain't got a lotta those so…" He's not looking for sympathy. He's a private man and doesn't let people in easily. He has a few close friends and his brother and Carol. That's enough for him. Or it had been until he met her.

"Daryl," he holds his breath as she reaches for his hand, "I hope I'm your friend too."

"Girl..." She bites her bottom lip when he says it and it's impossible to untangle what the one gesture has done to his insides, head included. Maybe later when he's had some food and sleep he can try and figure it out. For now, he'll hold onto her hand and lead her out the door.

* * *

Beth rolls over tugging the blankets with her, squeezing her eyes shut and willing herself back to sleep. Not because she's tired or it's still too early or even that she just wants to stay warm.

She had a dream about Daryl. A very hot dream and the things he was doing to her in the dream are things she never thought she'd want done to her again, but apparently, her subconscious has other ideas.

Groaning she kicks off the covers and briefly wonders what it would be like to wake up next to Daryl. She pushes that thought away, far away because as far as she can see Daryl isn't interested in that with her. That isn't quite right, he's interested because he holds her hand and sometimes the way he looks at her makes her want to rip off her clothes and drag him into the nearest bed or closet or anywhere private enough that they can….

But if he's interested why hasn't he tried… anything. Not even a kiss.

Maybe sharing her past with him hadn't been such a good idea. Maybe it ruined any future she might hope to have with the man. He'd been so open with her she wanted to be open with him too. About everything.

Maybe it had been too much.

SIghing she grabs her scrubs and heads for the shower.

Once she's at work busy with puppy immunizations and a duck, the duck, their only duck, and his indigestion, the dream and everything she's been worrying about takes a backseat for a little while.

The office is busy and although Beth is another set of hands she's going back to school in the spring and they're still going to need some help. So her dad is interviewing for an assistant vet position. So far every person, a total of three, that walked through the door have been wrong. Beth's sitting crossed legged on the floor behind the counter going through old files when she hears a commotion in the waiting room.

"I got a clean up on aisle five!" The receptionist is peeking over the counter and Beth hops up to join her.

A dark-haired woman in rainbow print scrubs is kneeling on the floor with the duck, Milo or Milton, she can't remember which. And it looks like the duck threw up. If in fact ducks actually vomit. Grabbing a roll of paper towels she hurries out to the waiting room.

"You don't have to do that…." Beth says kneeling next to the woman.

"Tara. Hi, I'm here for the interview. I didn't know it was a hands-on demonstration though?"

"Oh! It's not, it's…. My dad…." Beth sees the smile on the other woman's face and grins at her sheepishly. "You're kidding."

"I am. But Mr. Duck here upchucked and well my training kicked in!" Looking up at the owner of the sick duck Tara shakes her head. "M'am are you feeding this guy iceberg lettuce? Because that causes indigestion in ducks."

"Oh no… I didn't know that. He's always in the garden and he seems to like the lettuce so…"

"So he's got an upset tummy." Beth takes the soiled paper towels from Tara and watches as she deals with the duck's owner. She's been in and out of the office since Beth came back to work and absolutely nothing appeased her.

But Tara remedied the situation in five minutes flat. She told Beth what meds they could give Mr. Duck for his upset tummy and luckily they had them on hand and they sent the happy customers on their way.

"I think you're hired. I just need to tell my dad, he's the vet, but you were amazing!" Beth took Tara to the back room where they could wash up.

"Cool beans! My girlfriend and I just moved here from Atlanta. She transferred to the hospital in Peachtree but I'm still looking. She's gonna be so excited. I don't think she wants to support my a- tush any more." Beth laughs and decides that she's going to tell her daddy she already hired Tara. It's a done deal.

"Alright if you'll just follow me." They head back down the hallway and when they pass the waiting room there's a bark followed by toenails scrambling on the tile. Daryl's standing there in the waiting room with Pup who's doing his best to force Daryl to walk in Beth's direction.

"Sit Pup!" His gravelly voice is so familiar to her now. But she misses it like they haven't spoken in weeks. Which isn't true. They've hung out since their date. A couple of times this week and a few the week before. Seeing him brings back the dream from the night before she feels her face heat up.

"Hi Daryl," she looks into his dark blue eyes just once before kneeling down to pet Pup. If she looks too long she might spontaneously combust. And there's not a single bit of anxiety attached to this.

"I made 'em an appoint ta ya know, get him fixed," Daryl says stiffly explaining why he's here.

"Oh, I didn't know you were considering it." Daryl hadn't mentioned it at all since they met in the park and she'd let it go because she wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"Carol says it's a good idea. Might calm him down a bit and he'll be less likely ta confront a coyote if we take him walking in the woods again." Daryl says looking down and her.

We, he said we and we means him and her…. Doesn't it?

"Are we gonna walk in the woods again?" The words are out of her mouth before she can think them through. The woods were in her dream too. But Pup wasn't there and there were no coyotes and the only one biting was Daryl and she's got it bad for this man because again, she doesn't feel a single bit of anxiety thinking about his hands all over her.

In Nashville, she didn't date. Didn't look, didn't feel, didn't want any of that. Thinking about it made breathing hard and the only male besides coworkers and customers, that she had anything to do with was her friend Noah and he wasn't interested in her in a romantic way. She definitely wasn't his type.

It means something that Daryl can make her feel these things.

" 'S raining today but... " The smirk on his face is the best thing she's seen all day. It makes her brave, gives her the confidence to flirt a little.

"You afraid of a little water?"

"No ma'am not me but I was kinda thinking maybe we could hang out?" Hang out. Beth feels a little deflated but she won't say no. Not to spending time with Daryl even if she has very specific ideas about how she'd like to spend that time.

She needs a little advice and there's only one person she'll turn too for it.

After Daryl leaves and Hershel agrees that Tara seems like a good fit Beth takes her lunch break and calls Maggie.

* * *

Beth will be over in about an hour. Enough time to shower and start dinner. Spaghetti. Daryl's determined to make up for their first date. And for all the time that has gone by and had him questioning everything about her. Not his feelings or even her's. There's no doubt there.

But there is uncertainty. Because she went and opened up to him, answered his question and now every time his eyes linger on the parts of her that another man disrespected he feels sick to his stomach.

The things he's thinking when he looks at her, specific parts of her, seem wrong in light of everything she told him. Carol gave him a few other things to think about and he's ready to try and talk to Beth.

Maybe.

He'd texted Carol and stopped by the house after he'd dropped off Pup. He made small talk something he never does until she finally called him on it.

"Cut the crap Daryl, what's going on?"

"Ya know I been kinda seeing someone…"

"Yeah, the girl you haven't introduced me too yet," Carol says.

"I'm gonna. Eventually. I… I got a problem maybe and I ain't sure what ta do."

He explained in as few words as possible what was going on, how he felt about Beth and what had happened to her and how he had no clue how to go about doing anything.

"Well, how does she act? Like you all are just friends or more?" She poured him a cup of coffee and slid it across the table to his waiting hands.

"I'unno. We hold hands, sit together, hang out, sounds like fucking junior high!" Daryl mumbles.

"And she's fine with that or-"

"Sometimes I feel like she wants me ta… I dunno do more."

"Have you asked her?" Daryl chokes on the hot coffee.

"How the fuck am I supposed ta ask that?" He wipes his mouth on the sleeve of his flannel.

"Just ask. You know what she's been through. She told you! Look at it this way you'll be a complete ass if you make a move without knowing for sure that she's comfortable with it right?" Carol explained and he nodded. "But if you ask then you'll know for sure."

It all made sense but he's not good at talking about his feelings. Hell, he's not good at talking about a lot of many things. But at least if he asked her she'd have a choice. She could say yes or she could punch him.

But he's gonna give it a try. They'll talk and he'll ask if he doesn't fuck it all up.

Simple.

It's pouring when she gets to his place. He was watching for her lights so he could let her in and she wouldn't have to stand out in the cold. He gets the door open before she's even out of the car and then she's in the house kicking off her boots and the rain in her hair is sparkling like diamonds and she's laughing and he wants more than anything to just pull her against him, hug her, let the raindrops in her hair wet his face.

"Something smells really good Daryl!" She says as slips her coat off. He takes it and hangs over the back of a chair so it can dry.

"Makin' ya spaghetti since our first date kinda… ya know…"

"I'm never gonna forget it." She smiles and what she says and how she says it like it matters like it means so much to her, blows his mind. Their nightmare of a date, well most of it anyway and she's talking about it like it's something sacred.

"Yeah, I wanted ta talk about…" How much he wants to kiss her and touch her not to mention numerous other things. She's staring at him expectantly her blue eyes wide and maybe even a little nervous.

"Talk? Okay." He leads her to the couch. They've spent some time here sitting, holding hands.

"We uh, we been hanging out and-"

"Hanging out... Yeah." There it is again. That look she gives him sometimes that makes him think he could do more. That she wants him to do more. That she's tired of waiting. Put an arm around her already. Just do something.

"I don't know what ya want… I know what I want but-" He's got the words but they keep slipping out of his grasp. And he's failing miserably.

"Daryl?"

"I told ya what my dad was like, the things he did. They left scars. His fists, his belt… I got marks on my body that no one but my brother has seen cause I jus'- I keep 'em covered."

"Oh." She isn't brushing him off. She's listening.

"Ain't been touched by no one else either. Thinking about someone doing that, touching 'em, it, I get…"

"Nervous?" She asks.

"Scared." He says quietly. Admitting it, just like the thought of being touched, hurts. He's not looking at her but he hears the hitch in her breath. "But I wanna, I want ya ta be the one ta touch 'em."

"You're not afraid?" she asks and he laughs a hollow laugh.

" 'M fuckin' terrified. But I trust ya Beth. And I jus, I want more if ya know, you do."

"You don't want to just hang out?" she asks. And he shakes his head. She knows what he means. "I wanted to tell you… my sister, she said I should because it seems like your being a good guy and waiting and… are you waiting, Daryl? For me to tell you it's okay?"

"Told ya I would never hurt ya, Beth. I wasn' gonna jus', jus' kiss ya-"

"You want to kiss me?"

"Girl…" he looks over at her sitting there looking even prettier than the day he met her, "yeah, I wanna kiss ya."

"I'm not afraid… I was more afraid you didn't want to after everything I told you." Her eyes are sparkling with something more than mischief and Pup is staying the night at the vet so if she cries… he's gonna have to chase her tears away like his dumb dog usually does.

But it's simple now. Because she wants this as much as he does.

"Com'ere." Reaching for her hand he holds on as she scoots closer, close enough that he can feel her warmth. Cupping her face in his hands he rubs a thumb over the plump of her cheek and it gives under the pressure of his finger. Leaning in he brushes his lips against hers, soft at first and then harder opening his mouth over hers and letting his tongue explore her, taste her. And when she moans softly into his mouth the vibration makes him shiver.

He pulls her in close, wraps his arms around her and when he feels her small arms snake around his chest and hold on, her hands pressed against his back, his scars, everything he said to her about touching them and wanting her to touch them, it's a soft ache but he's not afraid.

She sighs as he ends the kiss but keeps his forehead pressed against hers.

"I like hanging out. It's nice. But this… this is better Daryl."

This is definitely better and the best part is she feels the same way he does. And he'll go as slow or as fast as she wants him too and long as what they have keeps moving forward and never stops.

**A/N I don't know if iceberg lettuce makes ducks vomit. (I don't know if ducks actually vomit.) It does give them diarrhea but I didn't want to go there. So Milo/Milton pukes instead!**

**That first kiss… nothing beats it. **

**Thank you for reading… even if that's all you're doing. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N This one took a bit of coaxing to get out of my head… but it's here and I apologize for the delay and I hope you like it… I think you might. Unfortunately, Pup won't be in tonight's episode. He's off gallivanting around the world chasing tail…. ;) **

Just when the kissing starts to heat up Daryl backs off. But just a little, enough so that he can look at her. And she can see everything he wants in his eyes.

"Can' forget 'bout dinner, I made it special for ya," he murmurs sliding his hands back up to her face. His fingers tangle in her hair and make her shiver as he runs them over her scalp.

"I think I like kissing best," she breathes letting her tongue run over her swollen lips. His eyes drop to watch and then flick back up to hers.

" 'S all ya wanna do is kiss?" Everything inside of her twists up leaving her speechless. It's not an innocent question. Not with the way he's looking at her right now. She can feel his gaze as if it were tactile tracing rough fingertips over her most sensitive places. He said he wanted more. More means all… it means not just kissing and she waits for a minute to see what that feels like.

It feels like she's waking up. It's like feeling the sun for the first time, seeing the stars...Maybe it's like falling in love.

This is what it's supposed to feel like whether or not it turns into something that lasts, right now it feels so right and it's not scary and it doesn't hurt (not in a bad way) and she wants more too.

"I wanna…" she whispers but he stops her with a finger pressed to her lips.

"I wanna feed ya. First." Before she can recover from all of it, the kissing, the insinuations, his finger, he's hauling her up off the couch and over to his little kitchen table. They hadn't used it when they brought home pizza that first night and they haven't used it since they've been hanging out.

He's got dishes and flatware and even glasses and napkins set up on the table and it's so sweet. She reaches out and touches a fork.

"Ain't got none a them cloth napkins. Well, I got one but…" His ears are pink and he's got his hands shoved in his pockets.

"It's perfect Daryl, I- thank you." She sits in the chair he pulls out for her and watches as he goes back into his little kitchen and grabs a few bowls and balances them all precariously in his arms. She starts to stand to help him and when he notices he grunts.

"Nah, you stay put." So she does. He looks nervous and uncomfortable and if having her help makes that worse that's the last thing she wants. So she waits and lets him do it how he wants too.

Upon closer inspection she notices the flatware doesn't match and the glasses they each have next to their plates aren't from the same set either and that makes it even more endearing in her eyes.

What little she did have when she left Nashville is in storage. Her plan was to find a place of her own and then go back for it. It hasn't happened yet, but it will and when she unpacks her things, her mish-mash of housewares she picked up second hand or got from Maggie will be like Daryl's and maybe she'll tell him or maybe she'll just let him find out for himself.

The table is covered with food. A big bowl of spaghetti, two types of garlic bread, a salad and a bottle of wine. It's a small table but it looks like Daryl planned on feeding more than just her.

"I, uh… I don't cook fer anyone 'cept myself so I prolly made too much…"

"Leftovers and lunches. Do you have a microwave at work?" He blinks at her for a second.

"Uh, yeah. 'S good idea." He looks down at her plate and then over at the spaghetti. "Ya want me ta…"

"Oh no, I can get mine." They serve themselves spaghetti and Beth takes a piece of each of the different types of bread and a big helping of salad. "This looks so good. I guess I was hungry. I kind of forgot when we were…."

"Kissing?" he adds, his voice an octave lower and it's already deep but this…

"Yeah." Maybe she'd believed she'd been missing it, the kissing. But she hadn't been. She hadn't even wanted it until Daryl and she'd been so scared he didn't want it.

But he does.

Not just kissing either.

* * *

The rain and wind are all he can hear. Beth is quiet but she's eating so it's not just a lack of things to say. Which is never a problem anyway. Even if she does most of the talking. And when they are quiet it's not necessarily uncomfortable. Like now. They're eating and listening to the storm. And it's good. He is missing Pup though.

He made to types of garlic bread because he wasn't sure which one Beth would prefer. One of the loaves has a weird crust that Pup would be begging him for. Glancing over at Beth's plate he sees she's got a little pile of crusts she's trying to hide behind her napkin.

"Crusts sucks. We need Pup here ta eat it." She smiles and nods.

"He gets to come home tomorrow. I bet he'll be happy to see you." Normally a dog would have the procedure done in the morning and be sent home that same evening. But due to a last minute emergency Pup's surgery didn't take place until late afternoon. And since they got a late start Hershel recommended Pup stay overnight.

Hearing Beth say it gives him a warm feeling. Pup probably will be happy to see Daryl and he'll be glad to have his buddy home.

" Guess so-" There a particularly loud gust of wind, one that almost seems to shake the walls of the house and then the lights flicker and go off completely. "Damn… knew that was gonna happen…" Daryl mutters pushing back his chair.

"Daryl?" He can't see her but he can hear the note of concern in her voice.

"I'll get a fire going. Shoulda done it earlier." He makes his way across the room in the dark and he hears the scrape of Beth's chair on the floor. She's following him. "Ya alright? Ya scared?"

"I," she laughs softly. "Makes me a little nervous. Silly huh?" She trips and luckily he's right there to grab ahold of her arm.

"Ain't silly but tryin' ta follow me aroun' in the dark is. Com'ere." He leads her over to the fireplace and when her knees bump the raised hearth she sits. The fireplace is in the corner of the living room with a small stack of wood beside it. He planned on lighting it earlier but with everything else he was trying to do to make the dinner he cooked for Beth perfect, he forgot.

"Oof.. thank you. Do you need a light to see? I have my phone over in my bag-"

"Nah, I could do this with my eyes closed." He strikes a match on the stones and holds it under a rolled up newspaper he shoved between two logs. It catches immediately and warm firelight chases away the dark.

"I don't think anything compares to a fire when there's a storm outside!" She turns on the hearth and sits crossed legged watching as Daryl pokes at the logs. He likes having her here, likes just being together.

"How 'bout a campfire under the stars?" Daryl immediately cringes. It sounded better before he said it out loud.

"Oh! Man, I can't choose. I like them both." She likes them both so maybe she likes camping and maybe someday they can go together and he'll build her a campfire under the stars. It doesn't sound so corny anymore. Not now that she's smiling and practically glowing in the flickering light of the fire.

"Me too," he says tearing his eyes from her to check out the log situation. He's got a stack on the back porch under a tarp but for now, it looks like they'll be good. Sometimes the power is out for hours if the storm is really bad. And it seems people living out in the woods are the last priority when storms knock out power.

"Storm's pretty bad, might not get power until tomorrow."

"That happened a lot on the farm when I was little. My mama had candles and flashlights all over the house just in case." When he was little he spent more time sitting in the dark because of unpaid power bills than storms. But he won't tell her that. He has a feeling it'll just wipe the smile off her face and that's the last thing he wants right now especially because he's feeling brave and he's gonna take a chance.

A big one as far as he's concerned.

"Don't know if it's a good idea ta drive in it," he says without looking at her. He's too nervous. There's just the crackling of the fire for a few seconds and Daryl holds his breath ready to accept whatever she says or doesn't say.

"So I should maybe… stay here?" The way she says it makes him ache in places he thinks might be okay to ache now. They sat on his couch kissing like two horny teenagers and she wasn't at all nervous about it.

In fact, he's almost sure she wants more. He definitely wants more.

"I'll let ya borrow a shirt." He can't help but crack a smile cause she looks speechless.

"Oh, um, I have a bag… in my car…"

"Ya got a bag? Was ya plannin' on-"

"No, no… I mean it's been in there because I was hoping that maybe, it's ridiculous," she breathes covering her face with her hands. Embarrassed, she's embarrassed. Well, that makes two of them.

Setting the poker down he sits beside her on the hearth.

"I ain't good at this-" he confesses. Again. Because he's told her this more than once and she doesn't seem to be bothered by it, his lack of finesse or ability to express his feelings.

"I think you're doing just fine Daryl. Dinner was-"

"Ain't talking 'bout dinner girl," he says huskily.

"Oh.. you mean staying the night? I've been hoping you'd ask me or something." She scoots closer and lays her small hand on his thigh. He covers it with his own hand. Swallows it up. It would be the same way lying in bed with her, He'd wrap her up and she's so small...

"Don' know how ta…"

"Sex? Is it sex…" Wait, what? Now he's confused.

"Ain't sex! Fuck ain't like I never have sex… just never with someone like you." This is so fucking difficult. Sex for him is getting drunk at a bar and finding a willing partner and an empty bathroom or car. But Beth, she's not like that and he doesn't want it like that with her.

"Someone like me?" she asks and then the confused smile is replaced with hurt. "Oh, you mean broken." Her past everything she told him. But that's not what he means, not at all.

"No… no, it ain't that at all!" he says taking her hand and holding it in both of his.

"Then, Daryl what is it?"

"Ain't been with someone I wanna wake up next too." There he said it and it's the truth and it may be stupid but he wants her to know. It's not her past. But it is her. It's all about her and how incredibly perfect she is and how he feels about her and what he wants to do with those feelings.

And how he just doesn't fucking know where to begin.

But this is a beginning. And he managed to take what he was thinking and turn it into coherent words and she doesn't look confused anymore. Her eyes are bright and her lips, fuck they're still a little swollen from all the kissing they did earlier and he could pick her up and plop her down on his lap and let her feel how much he wants her but that might be a little much.

Even if he didn't know her past he'd still be taking it slow, reading the signs because it's important. For the first time, their first time, it's important.

She's leaning into him and he can cup her cheek, slide his hand into her hair and kiss her again. Kiss while she whispers the words he wants to hear.

"I want to wake up next to you to Daryl."

* * *

Beth isn't sure if she climbed into Daryl's lap at his urging or if it was all her. Regardless she's there and their hands are everywhere. His hair is soft and running her fingers through it makes him shiver. She likes that her touch can do that. Her legs are wrapped around his waist and as his lips trail fire down her neck and as his teeth bump against her collar bone she unintentionally grinds against him.

Her body knows what it wants and obviously, his does too because he slides his hands down to hold her hips. She's not scared but she is a little overwhelmed and before that feeling can come off as fear, which will definitely slow everything down, she presses her hands to his chest and takes a deep breath.

"Maybe I better get my bag?" His hair is messed up and his mouth is hanging open as he stares at her. When his brow starts to furrow and before he can start to worry about moving too fast or moving at all, she leans in close and whispers, "unless you plan on going out there naked and getting it for me."

His eyes widen just a touch and he gives her hips a squeeze.

"Alright." They untangle themselves from each other and he pulls on his boots before opening the door. It's pouring but he's braving the rain to get her bag and she huddles in the doorway watching willing her heart rate return to something close to normal before he comes back in.

She realizes it a second after he tries to open the door on her car. It's locked! Running back to the couch she grabs her purse and bypasses her boots to get the keys to him. He's already soaked, hair plastered to his head.

"I'm so sorry Daryl! I forgot…" Fumbling with the key ring she unlocks the door. He grabs the bag, slams the door and then he's kissing her again. In the rain. And it's like a movie.

"I never kissed a girl in the rain," he growls into her neck pressing his wet body against hers.

"I've never been kissed in the rain." Her teeth are chattering because it's cold rain but his mouth is warm and she pushes up on to her toes to kiss him again, feel that warmth.

Wiping the water from his face he looks down at her feet.

"Girl.. yer in yer damn socks."

"I had to get the key-" He gives her what she thinks is a smirk but it's hard to tell in all the rain.

"Go," he says pointing towards the front door. Then shakes his head flinging even more water on her. Giggling she hurries toward the house hanging on tight to his hand.

When they're inside and the door is closed behind them they stand there dripping on the hardwood floor. A few seconds ago she was cold and shivering. And now the way Daryl is looking at her it's like she's back in front of the fire he built. Warm and flushed even though she's wet. Everywhere.

"You're soaking wet, " she whispers.

"So'er you," he breathes. He reaches between them and fingers the hem of her shirt.

"Take it off." It's her voice soft and low and she's nervous, but she means it.

"Beth?" She takes his hand and lifts it along with her shirt. Gets him started. Gives him permission.

Once they get started it's like a race to see who can get the others clothes off first. Wet clothes don't cooperate and they occasionally have to help each other out. When they aren't kissing because the minute he got his hands on her his mouth followed and with noses bumping and teeth clacking they finally manage to strip each other bare.

She should feel something, shouldn't she? Anxiety or panic? All she's got is a little buzz of nerves because she's standing in front of Daryl with nothing on and he's… he's not wearing anything either.

He's got a man's body. It's all angles and shadows, bumps and ridges. Nothing about him is soft. Except maybe his lips, underneath the scruff of his beard, they're pink from kissing her. She knows what they taste like, the food they ate, a hint of nicotine, and something that's completely Daryl. It's intoxicating.

She sees them. High up on his chest just below a collarbone that looks like it's chiseled from stone are the marks he told her about. The scars his father left on his body, the legacy of the nightmare that was his childhood. She felt them on his back, through his shirt and these, the first ones she sees are minor compared to what her fingers mapped under the thin cotton t-shirt.

But he told her he wanted her to touch them cause no one else had.

She takes a tentative step forward and he cups her elbow, slides his big hand up her forearm and behind her neck pulling her in closer. He's hard everywhere. And she lets her eyes follow the trail of dark hair down to where…

Exhaling she looks up at him.

"Ya alright?" he asks the concern there in his eyes. Maybe he thinks she's hesitant. But she's not, she's really not.

"I, I wanna touch you." He ducks his head and looks at her hand raised and waiting for him to tell her it's okay, she can.

"Toldja I wanted that... Wanted you… want you…" he murmurs looking at her through lowered lashes and she thinks of angels. Not the kind you see at Christmas or in books at church. White robes and halos. Not them. Daryl is probably the last person people would look at and think of an angel. But they don't know him.

Not like she's gotten to know him.

Laying her palm flat on his chest she runs her hand over its smooth expanse until she reaches the marks, tiny scars and she runs a fingertip over one before moving in closer and pressing her lips to another. He sucks in a breath and she pulls back, peers up at him.

"Daryl?"

" 'S okay… feels good." Between them, his hard cock jerks and bumps her stomach and she leans back in with her whole body flush against him because she wants to feel it all. All of him.

His hands drop to the small of her back and hold her closer, tighter, eyes never leaving hers.

"Beth, I- I don't think yer broken but ya been hurt and I gotta make sure-" It's hard to breathe. Not because she's so filled with desire or her heart's beating faster than she thinks it's ever beat in her entire life. Not because she's nervous and remembering a night so long ago that it doesn't even seem real.

It's hard to breathe because he's asking not taking. It matters and she's positive that if she said she couldn't do it, wasn't ready, he'd accept that and not make her feel bad about it.

"I'm sure…"

"I want ya so fuckin' bad…"

"I want you too…"

Wherever his bedroom is it's too far and the couch is right there and he picks her up and it's definitely, not graceful nothing like a movie and before he follows her down he groans.

"Fuck! I gotta get.. We need… Hang on." He hops up and takes off down a hallway giving her a view of him from behind and it's definitely a nice behind. Just before he disappears into the shadows she sees the mottled mess his upper back is. Dark red stripes, wounds healed over twisting up over one shoulder. He's gone before she can really see much more but what she saw is enough.

She wasn't prepared. The scars she already touched, kissed, are nothing in comparison too what's on his back. But he doesn't want her pity. That much she knows. Just like she doesn't want him treating her like she's made of glass and might possibly break.

She'll do for him what she wants him to do for her, she'll love the parts of himself that he hates.

Love.

She loved Pup the minute he knocked her over in the park. But that's easy, he's a dog and she loves every dog she meets, even the ones that nip at her when she's got them on the exam table.

She's never been in love, romantic love with anyone but something inside of her reaches out, stretches like an elastic band, pulls like a magnet whenever she's with Daryl. Maybe that's what it feels like to fall in love.

And maybe she's delirious, lying here naked on his couch consumed by all that's happened and is going to happen. Maybe that's it. For now.

He's not rushing as he comes out of the shadows of the hallway. He's got one hand across his stomach and the other is balled in a fist at his side. She can see the tension in his jaw as he comes to the couch and sits.

"Ya saw 'em?"

Oh.

"A little... "

"It's ugly. So if ya-" Sitting up she reaches for his hand, the one that's clenched tight into a fist. Slowly, one by one she lifts his fingers until his hand is open on her thigh revealing the crinkled plastic square he was holding onto so tightly.

"Can I put it on?" she asks quietly dismissing his doubt. All the tension he was holding leaves with shuddering sigh as he falls back against the couch.

* * *

Daryl watches as she tears the condom open. She's on her knees on the couch beside him, naked skin glowing in the firelight and she's beautiful. Delicate. Everything about her is petit from the curve of her hips to her pert breasts capped with nipples that are as pink as her lips. He wants to run his hands over her body, know it by touch. Every inch of it. She stares at the latex circle in her palm and then blinking she looks up at him.

"I've never actually put one on…" Her cheeks flush as she says it making him wonder what else she's never done and if he should ask.

"Jus' slide it on. Here…" Taking her hand he slips the condom over the tip of his hard cock and then wraps her hand around it. She takes it from there and it's a little clumsy mainly because she seems nervous and he's not helping any with the way his body is vibrating. But he can't function with her hand on him. It's taking all he's got not to come in the damn condom before it even serves its purpose.

"Is that… did I do it right?" Wide-eyed and so fucking innocent. He has to ask. It wouldn't be right if he didn't. After everything else. She deserves this. She deserves to be treated with respect even if half his mind is envisioning her sitting in his lap straddling him like earlier only this time he'll be buried deep inside her.

"Beth is this… have ya ever?" He's so fucking lame he can't even say it but she's nodding as she lays back on the couch pulling him with her.

"I have, I had a boyfriend in high school. We broke up before I left for Nashville."

Boyfriend. Is that what he is now? Can he be? He wants too and not because she naked and practically underneath him.

But.

Boyfriend? Meaning one? That's almost like none.

"It's okay Daryl," she whispers softy her hand still firmly holding on to him. "Are you okay?"

"Girl…" he breathes, " 'm gonna come if ya don't stop… squeezing…" Groaning he drops his head back against the couch. Her soft laughter makes his skin tingle. Lifting his head he wraps a hand around her thigh. "Come up here," he rasps.

"Your lap?"

"Mmhmm." He can make it happen, what he was thinking about. It'll be fast but they've got all night. With her hands on his shoulders, she climbs into his lap. The flush on her cheeks has spread to her chest and her nipples are hard and tight. He couldn't see it before but there's a light dusting of pale blonde hair at the apex of her thighs. Like the rest of her, it's delicate and does little to hide how wet she is. For him.

"Like this?" Her naiveté is exhilarating and frightening. She's nothing like the women he's been with. And she's everything he wants. He nods and leans in and kisses her, sucks her bottom lip between his teeth as she lowers herself down until he's inside of her.

It's better than the fantasy. So much fucking better.

"Fuck… Beth…" Her body shaking and the sharp little inhalation of breath he hears as she settles in his lap is concerning. "Ya okay?" He doesn't think much in terms of the size of his dick. But he's been told it's big or something, things nameless, faceless women whispered in the dark. It never did anything for him but now he's thinking about it and how she's a small woman and hasn't been with all but one other guy…

And she's so tight, it's gotta be uncomfortable for her. For him, no fucking way. It feels… better than anything he's ever felt in his life and he's absolutely positive it has everything to with her and not that she's hot and wet and clenching him with more than just her hands on his shoulders.

"I'm…" She leans into him resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"Am I hurtin' ya?" Please don't let him hurt her, that's the last thing he wants.

"God no! No.. it's good Daryl, it's…" It is good. _It's so good girl..._

"Look at me," he whispers huskily. She raises her head and her eyes are huge, pupils blown black with desire and she doesn't look like she's in any pain at all. He shifts her a little in his lap, "Don' look away", and lifts his hips.

Her moan and the way she grinds back down on him is all the reassurance he needs and he lets his hands find their way up her ribcage to cup her breasts. Both of them. One in each hand. He's not thinking about size where these are concerned either. It doesn't matter, he likes them, likes her and especially likes the reaction he gets when he drags a calloused thumb across her nipple.

She whimpers and drops her head back and he stops moving.

"Head up girl… I wanna see you, wanna watch…" He never talks during sex. Hell, he never thinks either beyond the basics of what he's doing. But he wants to and that's a rare thing so it's gotta be important, gotta mean something.

"Just don't stop moving Daryl… please, keep, yes like that, like…" Her words turn into a long drawn out breath and he feels her hands on his hips, fingers lightly skimming up and over his back until...

It's doesn't hurt, not really. It's more like a caress. A lover's touch meant to soothe. Which it does. He told her he wanted her to touch his scars and she's doing it and the care with which she's treating his body, the worst parts of it, is what hurts. It aches like a broken bone that healed up years ago and only reminds him it's there when the rain comes.

And it's raining.

Letting his hands fall back to her hips he holds her and rocks against her until she's meeting him thrust for thrust and they're both panting.

"Daryl I need…" Taking one of his hands she pushes it down between her legs and with her own hand, she shows him exactly what she needs. Guides his fingers to the soft folds of her pussy and the hard nub nestled there.

Without breaking their rhythm Daryl strokes a finger right where she wanted him too. A rough calloused finger like his thumb on her nipple and she's making a sound that somewhere between a whimper and a scream.

She keeps her eyes on him the entire time and maybe that, maybe her gaze is what pushed him over the edge headfirst into a mind fucking orgasm. She follows or maybe she started it all, he's not quite sure. About anything.

Except for the fact that he might never want to let her go.

**A/N Hanging out just went to a whole new level! I am okay with that! Let me know your thoughts! And thanks for being awesome! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I apologize for the delay! No excuses just a heartfelt apology! I hope you love the update...**

"No… oh no." There's no reason to whisper. She's alone in her little apartment on the edge of the woods. The one she'd wanted from the start. The one she ended up getting because the guy who was supposed to have it backed out at the last minute. _It was meant to be. _That's what Tobin, the apartment manager told her eight weeks ago when she went in to sign the lease.

Eight weeks after Daryl had made her dinner and she decided that stormy nights and warm fires would always be her favorite.

Eight weeks.

She's perched on the edge of the toilet seat staring down at her feet. The thick grey socks she's wearing almost reach her knees. They're Daryl's. He gave them to her to wear with her boots so her feet stay warm while they're hunting. Or he is, she's just going along for the ride. Turning down a walk in the woods with Daryl and Pup seemed impossible a few days ago when he asked her.

But now, he might not be so happy he invited her.

The thought brings on a fresh wave of tears and she slumps over her knees scrubbing at her wet face with the balled up toilet paper she's got in her hand. Her head is pounding and there's an ache in her chest that might be her heart breaking.

This wasn't the way things were supposed to go. She had a plan from the minute she got off the bus from Nashville and granted it's changed a little but it's still the same general plan.

She got her apartment.

She's been accepted into an early start class at UGA in the Veterinary Medicine program.

And she's head over heels in love with Daryl Dixon. Okay, that hadn't been part of her plan, falling in love, but it's the best part…

None of it matters anymore, none of it counts because lying on the floor next to her feet is a white stick with a window and even though tears are blurring her vision she can still see two very distinct blue lines.

She's pregnant and that was definitely not part of her plan.

* * *

It's early and there's still a low lying fog in the woods behind his house. He's pretty sure it will have burned off by the time they get to where they're going. He hopes so. Hunting in the fog is a bitch. But even if he comes up empty-handed he'll be with Beth. And that's mainly why he asked her, so he could see her. Again.

He'd see her every day if he could. Her job keeps her busy though. And she picked up even more hours volunteering at an emergency vet hospital that will go towards her degree for school. It's a good thing but he likes her, he likes her a lot and he likes it best when she's with him.

Last night they had dinner with Merle and Carol. Daryl couldn't come up with any more excuses and Carol kept threatening to go into Hershel's office and introduce herself to Beth so Daryl finally caved. Once they were actually there eating and talking Daryl wondered why he'd even been worried. Beth fit right in and she seemed to enjoy herself even though she hadn't felt all that good.

Dropping her off at her apartment had been a letdown. He'd hoped she'd be coming home with him since they were heading out early in the morning. But she said she wanted to go home take a hot bath and some medicine and go to bed so she'd be ready for their early day.

He called her before he left just to check in and she sounded tired and something else that he couldn't quite place but she said she was waiting for him, even made him oatmeal. He didn't have the heart to tell her he doesn't like oatmeal because he knows he's gonna eat it anyway.

Pup's got his head out the passenger side window and his pink tongue is flopping around in the wind. He looks happy and it's a good thing because today he's riding shotgun and Beth's sitting in the middle. That is if she wants too.

He feels the flutter of nerves in his stomach as he parks and opens the door for Pup. Every damn time. They've been dating for about three months now but seeing her does this to him makes him feel all sorts of things he's never felt and can't even name. But he hopes it never stops.

Pup makes a beeline for Beth's door. The dog's been here a few times now and knows exactly where they are. Beth also happens to be standing in the doorway and she's wearing the socks he gave her. She's smiling but the purple shadows under her eyes concern him. Her hair is down and woven into a braid. She's wearing a thick sweater a shade lighter than his socks and looks too pretty to be going hunting in the woods with him.

"Hi, Daryl." She moves aside so he can come in. Pup is already making himself at home slurping water from the bowl she keeps on the floor just for him.

"Hey Beth, How ya feeling?" He reaches for her without even thinking. That's been happening a lot lately. Before he can second guess himself and overthink something as simple as a hug he's got his arms around her and his cheek against her head. He's still not used to hugging just for the sake of hugging. But that doesn't mean he doesn't like it. He does, all of it, the hugs, the little touches, holding hands. He's learning through her that touches are good things and they don't have to make him uncomfortable.

"I'm okay. I had a little trouble sleeping but I'm good." Leaning back she looks up at him and besides the shadows, her eyes look a little pink. But it's pretty early in the morning and he's selfish and he wants her with him so he isn't going to drill her about how she feels.

He'll take her word for it even if she isn't telling the whole truth.

"Ya ready to do this?" he murmurs as he leans in to press a soft kiss to her cheek. She surprises him though and turns her face so their mouths meet and for a few seconds that soft kiss turns into something a little more heated. Once they part she takes his hand.

"I made oatmeal and coffee." Oatmeal.

He ate all of it. And while he was eating he looked over at her and knew he loved her then. When you eat something you really don't like just to make the person who made it for you happy- that's love. Not to mention the fact that everything in his world changed the day his damn dog knocked her down in the park.

He loves his damn dog too.

* * *

The woods are damp and cold and there's a lie lowing fog that makes them kind of spooky. But being outside clears her head calms her nerves. She's also trying not to think about what she needs to say to Daryl and the fact that she really needs to say it soon because he should know. Not yet though. For now, she wants to enjoy being out here with him.

He's in his element. He opens up out here, even talks more but in a hushed voice not unlike the one he sometimes uses when they're naked and wrapped up in each other. They've gone to the woods behind his house and even taken a walk in the ones outside of her apartment. But today is the first time he brought along his bow intending to use it.

"So what are we hunting for? You never told me?" she asks keeping her voice low like he does.

"Carol needs rabbits fer her famous rabbit stew and I never turn down an excuse ta hunt," he says holding out a hand to Pup, feeding the dog treats for staying by his side. He's teaching him to hunt and for a dog that couldn't finish guide dog school, he's learning quick.

"You aren't getting anything for yourself?"

"Got a freezer full at the house." Daryl doesn't kill anything unless he can use it or share it. He's responsible and it's important to him. Even if he never explicitly told her she can tell. He's a good man.

He'll take responsibility for a baby, his baby. Even if they don't end up together he'd still be there for his child. Wouldn't he?

Trying not to think about this is only making her think about it even more. Sighing she decides to just do it and get it over with. It might ruin the rest of the day but it isn't going to get any easier.

"Daryl?" her voice is low but he shushes her and raises his hand, pointing towards a small clearing. The sun burnt off all of the fog and the clearing is bathed in yellow light. Next to a small cluster of bushes is a gray rabbit. Flicking her eyes back to his she smiles and nods.

The bolt strikes it's intended target and when Daryl snaps his fingers Pup takes off after it. Daryl's right behind the dog. There have been a couple of times when Pup was so excited he took whatever it was that Daryl killed and ran off with it. But Daryl is patient and Beth can see the results of that patience when she catches up with them. Pup is sitting obediently beside Daryl eating up his praise instead of the dead rabbit.

"Good boy, ya found it," Daryl rubs his ears and gives him a treat. Beth watches as he lifts the rabbit by its feet and jerks the bolt out of its body. Heat prickles her face and she sways a little watching the blood drip off the tip of the bolt. Covering her mouth she tries to breathe through her nose and will the nausea away but it's too late. Leaning over a bush the contents of her stomach emerge in the morning light. Partially digested oatmeal and chunks of bagel. Looking at it makes her stomach contract again and she retches into the bush.

"Beth, hey ya okay?" He rests a hand on her back and in the other, the rabbit hangs there dripping blood and just looking at makes her gag.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just the blood…" Standing up she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and avoids looking at him for reasons besides the obvious.

"The blood?" he questions, "Ya shoulda told me ya weren't feeling good, ya didn't have to come-"

"I'm fine Daryl really." She gives him a shaky smile but he's not having it.

"Yeah? Blood didn't bother ya when we was taking care of Pup."

"I, no it didn't," she admits.

"Wha's going on? Somethin's bothering you." His furrowed brow and frown aren't anger but concern. She knows this and she also knows that now is just as good a time as any to tell him.

"I'm pregnant."

The change on his face isn't instantaneous. It's slow to come but she sees it when the words finally sink in. He pales a little and the frown fades softening his face, making him look as vulnerable as she feels.

"What?" Even Pup is staring at her now. Saying it again will make it real. Then there's no turning back and what if….

"I took a test, this morning. I didn't realize… I wasn't paying attention to when I last had my, my period." The man has seen places on her body she can't see, he's touched those places, but talking about her period is the thing that embarrasses her?

"Ya had a test? How long ya been thinking-"

"No, I went to the store last night after you dropped me off. The way I was feeling, I checked the dates..." It doesn't feel good saying that. Maybe she should've told him before buying a test. Maybe she should've have taken it with him. "I wanted to know for sure..."

"Oh." The silence is uncomfortable. At their feet Pup whines confused. "I got some water in the truck ya wanna-" Nodding she walks behind him, waits as he grabs his crossbow and then follows him back the way they came, through the woods that are brilliant in the morning sun a big change from less than an hour ago. Birds are chirping, everything is incredibly alive and they should be enjoying it.

There's an ice chest in the back of his truck and Daryl pulls out a water bottle and hands it to her. Then he wraps the rabbit in a plastic bag and sticks it in the chest. She drinks the water and it gets rid of the bad taste in her mouth and this makes her feel a little bit better.

"I ain't sure what ta say or do, I, jus' dunno." He rubs his face and she wishes he'd reach out for her because she feels really alone all of a sudden.

"I don't know what I want to do," she whispers.

His hair is falling across his forehead, covering his eyes but he's looking over at her. He looks hurt. He's not saying anything though. And she'd be lying to herself if she brushed it off like it doesn't matter. It does. She knew she was falling in love with him weeks ago. That hasn't changed. Her heart still wants that but what if he doesn't want her or this? A baby. It's not like they've been talking about any sort of future. Neither one of them has said they want this to last forever.

But it felt like it.

It felt like forever.

"Did ya still wanna get somethin' ta eat? Ya don't have to, I mean I dunno if ya even feel…" he's fumbling for words and she doesn't want him to feel like he has to do anything.

"Take me home. I just want to go home please."

* * *

Merle had this dealer, janky little white guy. There was a fight one day over something, he can't even remember what it was. Something stupid. They were all high even him and the dealer punched him in the gut, made him puke. But the punch was in slow motion like he could see it coming but he couldn't move and when the guy's fist connected with his belly it just kept going on and on until the guy's arm was back by his side and Daryl was on his knees puking in the dirt.

That's what this feels like, like he's been punched in the gut in slow motion.

_Take me home_

He should say something, anything but he's afraid of saying the wrong thing, whatever that might be.

So he doesn't say anything and they drive in silence.

She's huddled over by the passenger door and Pup is in the middle leaning over her eyeing the window no doubt.

"Down Pup." Pup listens, settles on the seat between them. Daryl drapes his hand over the wheel giving her a sidelong glance. Her head is turned away from him and all he can see is her profile, long lashes against her cheek, soft lips, her braid where falls over her shoulder.

He pulls up in front of her apartment and lets the truck idle wondering if he should turn it off and get out. She decides for him by opening her door.

"Beth…" She's gone before he can say it again in case she didn't hear him. She heard him, he's sure of it. But she left without saying a word. And he let her go.

He drives away but he doesn't get very far before he slams on the brakes. Pup yelps as he slides off the seat onto the floorboards. Shame coils in Daryl's belly as he reaches for the dog.

"Dammit! 'M sorry Pup… com'on back up here. We gotta go back… I'm a fuckin' asshole… can't leave her.." Rubbing Pup's head with one hand, he yanks on the steering wheel with the other turning the truck around.

* * *

Beth didn't wait to see if he would come in, she didn't even give him a chance. She heard him say her name but kept walking until she was in the house and the door was closed and she heard the truck roar away.

Then she sank down on her couch and tried to cry. Tried because even though she felt like all of her wanted to crumple up into a sobbing wet mess, nothing happened. Then she tried to get mad because he just dropped her off and left her there.

But she got out of the truck. She walked away and didn't turn back even when he said her name.

She can't even muster up a little bit of irritation. Nothing. She's just there. Maybe it's hormones, she's heard pregnancy hormones are brutal.

That does it. The word pregnancy tips the scales in her favor and the tears she was trying so hard to produce earlier come in buckets. She's ruined everything. Her little apartment, school…

Daryl.

He probably hates her even though she would have bet her life he felt the same way she felt- feels because that hasn't gone away. She loved him before she knew she was pregnant and she still loves him after. Now. She still loves him now. Maybe they can get through this, maybe they can figure something out.

It's just the way he was looking at her when she told him and what he said about not knowing what to do. What if he wants her to make that decision and what if the decision he's counting on is her not having the baby?

She can't do that, she can't- somewhere outside a dog is barking. Somewhere really close in fact. Her heart is already pounding when the barking is joined by a knock on the door. It seems she's barely turned the knob before Pup is barreling through the door wagging his tail like he wasn't just with Beth less than 10 minutes ago.

"Fuckin' dog-" Daryl growls. He raises his face to hers and what he sees in her face must bother him because he gets this look like maybe he wants to cry or yell she can't be quite sure which. He doesn't do either. Instead, he steps inside the door and closes it behind him then tentatively reaches for her hand.

"I ain't leavin' even if ya want me too. Shouldn'a drove off in the first place. 'S not what I wanted. Jus' seemed like ya didn't want me here," he says quietly. Pup is sniffing around the water dish and steps inside of it turning it over.

"I didn't want… I don't want you to go. I don't want to do this alone." If she's honest he can be honest. He pulls his hand back and heads over to Pup. He's holding the dish in his hands when he looks over at her.

"That what you think of me? That I'd let ya, that I'd leave ya to raise my kid on yer own?"

"I didn't want you to feel obligated-" It hits her as she says it. He is obligated in every way and she should give him more credit.

"Obligated? Fuck Beth, 's my baby too! Ain't an obligation!" He's angry and he's hurt. She hurt his feelings. Since she's been with him she's been very aware of the fact that it's important to him that she sees the good in him. Which she does and has, he, on the other hand, seems to think he's lacking.

"But you didn't choose it," she whispers and he exhales his shoulders sagging.

"You didn't choose it either." She sniffles and he sets the bowl on the table and walks away from the spilled water and wraps his arms around her. He sighs and pulls her against him and it definitely doesn't feel like he's doing it because he's obligated and this only makes her cry harder.

"I'm sorry," she says softly pressing her face deeper into his jacket.

"Stop. Don' gotta apologize."

"But I am."

"Then I'm sorry too."

* * *

"Com'on… over here." Her couch is smaller than his and they have to sit close together which is fine with him. She can sit in his lap if she needs too, anything to make her stop crying. He shrugs out of his jacket, tosses it aside.

"I should've told you last night," she says gently resting her hand on his chest. "I wanted to but… I didn't want a pregnancy scare to scare you away."

"I ain't going nowhere, Beth. Wasn't before I found out, sure the hell ain't now." She sniffles again and he cups her chin in his hand. Her face is red and blotchy, her nose is running, her eyes are running and she's still the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. And she's his girl and she's having his baby and all he can think is that maybe he lucked out.

Maybe.

"I, I need a tissue." They both look around as if a tissue is going to magically appear out of nowhere. When she starts to get up he stops her. He reaches down and tugs up the hem of his hoodie and wipes her nose with it.

"Daryl that's… thank you," she says embarrassed. "You messed up your shirt."

" 'S okay, wouldn't do for anyone else." _Only you girl._

They sit there for a minute, not saying anything. This silence is different from the one in the truck on the drive home. They're together in this one. Scared, confused and a whole lot of other feelings still yet to be named. But they're together. He won't let her do this alone because he already figured out one thing, the most important thing.

"I don' like oatmeal." She peers up at him through puffy eyes.

"Oh. Daryl you didn't have to eat it, you could've said something."

"I know. But tha's what ya do when you love someone. Ya eat the things they make even if ya don' like 'em."

"You, you love me?" He's got plenty to say on the subject. Words that fill his heart and his head but the flicker of wonder in her eyes makes it impossible to form a coherent sentence. Like, I do or something along those lines. So he sticks to his usual response and simply nods.

"Daryl…" she breathes his name and her eyes are shiny with tears and maybe she doesn't quite feel the same but it's okay, she doesn't have too. It's not an I said it so you have to say it kind of statement. Not for him.

He wanted her to know, he has for a while. And right now she needs to hear it.

"I love ya, but ya ain't gotta say it-" She twists around and now she is almost sitting in his lap. She lays a palm on his cheek, rubs the scruff on his cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"But I do! I love you. I, I had this plan when I came back from Nashville. What I wanted to do, how I wanted my life to start over. It didn't go exactly as I imagined, things changed. Like, I mean I never planned on falling in love but that, that's been the best part."

She loves him.

Maybe he thought he didn't need to hear it and would've been okay not hearing it. But she said it and he wants to live forever in those three words.

He watches as she licks her lips, tucks a tendril of hair behind her ear and whispers,

"I want to have this baby." He can't imagine any other scenario where these words would make him happy. Even though he knew… it's her. She wouldn't do it any other way.

"I can't tell ya what ta do, was always gonna be yer choice but I want ya ta have it too."

"Are you scared?"

" 'M fuckin' terrified."

"We'll be okay, we'll be good." If she says so he believes it.

"Mmhm…" She tucks herself against him and he's glad she's not looking at him. He 's smiling. So big. It's making his cheeks hurt. He's is terrified, for sure. He has zero experience with small humans but he's kept his dog alive, even managed to teach him to sit. So maybe he'll do alright with a baby.

A baby, he's gonna be a father.

**A/N I went round and round with this one… blame the girls on discord and all their baby sweetness! Y'all know who you are!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Now what? Life just got infinitely more complicated but in a good way. **

Her reflection in the full-length mirror is making everything real in a way it hasn't been. Sure she's had a blood test to confirm the test she took at home and a couple of prenatal appointments. And there's the morning sickness that never really sticks to mornings.

Brushing the tears away so she can look again, Beth rests her hand on a tummy that wasn't there yesterday. She's sure of it. She didn't have this bump, proof that there is a life growing inside of her, until this very moment in front of her mirror.

Biting her lip and trying not to cry, she does that entirely too much lately, she lets her bath towel fall to the floor as she crawls on her bed with her cellphone. There's only one person she can call because they've kept the pregnancy to themselves so far. Probably not for much longer though. He's the only one she wants to call even though she feels the familiar tug of anxiety as she brings up his number.

Is this really what he wants? He says he does and he's been there for her for all of it so far. But he hasn't said much beyond asking her how she's feeling and if he can do anything, get her anything… He's trying really hard but something feels off.

"Daryl?" He always answers even before she hears the ring echoing in her ear. And even though she tries to keep her voice steady he hears her tears and tells her he'll be there in ten minutes. He's twenty minutes away on the outside of town if you're driving the speed limit. He said he'll be here in ten, she doesn't doubt that at all.

She wraps up in her bathrobe and curls up on her couch- waiting.

Whatever she wants, whatever she needs he'll be there for her. They've been to two doctors appointments that he figured he'd feel completely uncomfortable and out of place at but he didn't and wasn't. It was okay and he's learning a lot. The things he knows about pregnancy and childbirth he can count on one hand. No one close to him has ever been pregnant or had a baby. When Merle met Carol, Sophia was already a walking talking human person. Not that a baby isn't human it's just that they're so small and fragile and what how in the fuck is he going to take care of one of those?

He will. He'll figure it out, they'll figure it out.

* * *

It's just this. Driving to her apartment or meeting her at the doctor's office… She's four months pregnant today. He keeps track in his head, has been since she told him that day in the woods. She was right about the dates and even though they laughed about it later, her getting pregnant the first time they had sex, it was nervous laughter. He wore a condom but she got pregnant anyway. She was already two months along when they found out and now two more months have gone by and he feels like he's missing out by not being there all the time. He's supposed to be there. Isn't he?

She was so damn excited when she got her apartment and it's a nice place. But that was before. Yeah, he hated when she went home, he missed her after knowing what it felt like to have her with him all night, to wake up to her in the morning. But now… they're in this together and he wants to be together for all of it. When she can't sleep or her back hurts or she's sick and trying to hold her hair up. And when the baby starts moving and she can feel it, he wants her right beside him so maybe he can feel it too. The doctor said something about that happening pretty soon, being able to feel the baby.

But he won't feel shit if she's not with him.

He'd just gotten out of the shower when she called. She was crying, he could hear it in the tone of her voice. She said nothing was wrong, she just needed him to come by if he could. Of course, he could. He'd drop everything for Beth, do whatever she asked him.

Knocking gently on the door he waits for her to come and open it. She's said he can just come in and he's told her the same about his place but they both still knock and wait and it ridiculous.

"Hi Daryl," she says softly as she lets him in. She's in a robe and her hair is damp like his. Her eyes are red and her face is flushed but she smiles at him and he can see it in her eyes that she means it, the smile. That eases the tightness in his chest.

"Hey… what's goin' on Beth? Com'ere," he wraps his arms around her and kisses the crown of her head smelling her shampoo and soap. "You okay? Somethin' hurting?" She shakes her head against his chest then pulls back out of his arms and lets her robe fall on the floor. For a second he can't breathe. She's naked and Beth naked is one of his favorite things. But she looks nervous and she's got her hands on her tummy.

"It's really real now… I looked at myself in the mirror and…" she holds her hands out for him to see whatever it is she sees. He can't see anything different. She looks the same as she did two nights ago in bed with him. She catches onto his confusion and turns sideways running her hand over her belly. "See? You can see it now. I, I have a belly. There's a baby in there and… what?" He can't help but smile a little.

"Yeah. I been holding that belly in my hand whenever ya stay the night with me. More ta hold now."

"You've felt it?" Her eyes are wide in surprise just as true as her smile.

"Well yeah. Yer bigger on top too," he mumbles blushing and pointing to her breasts. He holds onto those too.

"I've never... you noticed it?" He nods and her eyes fill with tears. Beth naked and crying is not one of his favorite things.

"Hey com'on, Beth don' cry. Why are ya crying?" Taking her hand he leads her to the couch and pulls her close to him.

"I looked in the mirror," she sniffs "and it was like I was seeing it for the first time, you know? I mean I know I'm pregnant but I saw it for real and… you've really felt my body changing Daryl? You never said anything." He's having a hard time saying anything now because godammit she's naked! He wants to get naked himself and hold her even closer.

"I'unno… figured you knew." He wasn't sure what to say, _Yer boobs are getting bigger babe. _Holding her in bed while she slept and feeling all the things that were changing with his hands and his lips, that made him feel like he was a part of it even when she left the next morning and he didn't see her for a couple of days.

He gets the feeling that he should tell her those things. They seem like important things to say and maybe then when he asks her to come home with him for good she'll understand.

"Daryl is something wrong? You haven't said much and I know it's a lot what we're going through but you can tell me anything, you can say whatever you need-"

"I want ya to come live with me." He didn't realize how good it would feel to say that to her.

"Oh!"

"All them changes, I liked feeling what was happening to yer body. I hate when ya leave. Things change and ya come back and the little bump is bigger and that means it's growing, the baby, and I wanna be there fer all that shit… and fuck I sound like a goddamn idiot don' I?" She's crying for real and shaking her head.

"No, no you don't."

* * *

He said, baby. He hasn't said that since she told him she was pregnant. But he said it and he's been feeling the changes she hasn't seen all along. Feeling them and loving them and holding on to them in her absence.

Having her own place meant so much to her but after she got pregnant it was different. She felt a little lonely going home from Daryl's or closing the door when he'd leave. She hadn't let herself think about living arrangements because there were so many other things to think about. Plus she wasn't sure how to bring it up or even if she should. Yet.

School wasn't a problem. Enrolling and starting the early class, it all worked out. She isn't the only one in the class who is expecting although no one else knows about her yet. And her due date is over the summer break as long as she doesn't enroll in summer classes. So school isn't a stressor for her. She's tired in class but since she's only going two afternoons and it's a satellite class on the community college campus which is only one town over as opposed to in Atlanta, she's doing fine.

Her family and friends don't know yet and except for a little anxiety about breaking the news to her dad, she's not worried. Daryl hasn't said anything about telling everyone. He's just gone along with everything she's suggested. And it's always been a suggestion and she would have taken anything he said into consideration because they're in this together.

He's never said anything until now. He's never asked anything of her.

"I want to come live with you too." The apartment is amazing but things have changed and she won't miss it. No more leaving Daryl's house after dinner because she works early the next morning, no more sleeping alone for a few nights because they're schedules don't allow for time together. No more having her heart break over the little frown he always tries to hide from her when she leaves.

"But yer apartment that ya love an-"

"I love you more." He's speechless. Which isn't anything new, he's always quiet but sometimes, not very often though, she can say something that leaves him speechless. This is one of those times. "We're in this together. I want to be together." He stares at her, his blue eyes piercing her in places that hurt and others that feel so incredibly good. Letting her go he pulls his shirt over his head and toes off his boots. He's undressing. When he stands up and drops his pants she can't help the little gasp she gives.

"Wha's a matter?" he smirks.

"What are you doing?"

"We ain't had sex on yer couch. Better do it now before ya move out," he says huskily kneeling before her and helping her lay back. " 'S that okay?"

She can't respond with words, his hand is between her legs and it would be impossible to say anything that would make any sense now so she nods frantically and pulls him down to her. Kissing his nose and his cheek and the scruff f his jawline she presses her lips to his ear and whispers the three words he loves almost as much as I love you.

"Fuck me, Daryl."

* * *

"Jesus brother! Wake the fuck up!" Daryl jerks in the camp chair and almost tips himself over into the river. He and his brother took an impromptu fishing trip. It had been his idea. He wanted to tell Merle about the baby. So he and Pup and Merle came fishing. But he's having trouble staying awake.

Last night he and Beth had dinner with Hershel and told him about the pregnancy. Maggie and Glenn had been there and Maggie had looked horrified and Beth had started crying and Daryl had gotten pissed off.

They'd sorted it all out though. Glenn had proposed and he and Maggie came to dinner to tell Hershel. But Beth had shared her news first and Maggie had felt bad making Beth share the spotlight.

"We would have waited Bethy… if I had known!" Then Maggie started crying because Beth hadn't told her and because she was eight weeks pregnant too.

"All she does is cry," Glenn said under his breath to Daryl.

"Welcome ta my world," Daryl had muttered back.

Hershel had managed to smooth everything over by turning the conversation to what he thought his grandchildren should call him. Both girls had been stunned into silence. They thought for sure some kind of lecture would be forthcoming. But it hadn't. Not that Hershel hadn't had a few words for them. More for Daryl and Glenn than Beth and Maggie.

"You're adults. Whether you get married or not, as long as you take care of each other and respect and love my daughters as well as being there for my grandchildren I'll be happy."

It had gone better than Beth had imagined. She'd confessed that to Daryl on the way home. And then he'd brought up marriage. Because Glenn and Maggie were doing it not because he thought they should or even felt the need too. But if Beth had wanted it…

"We don't need to, I mean I wanna be with you forever Daryl. But with school and the baby… we know what we are to each other right? But if you want to we can."

They decided to wait until life settled down. They could make plans then or they could just go to the courthouse and make it legal that way.

Then they went home and Beth kept him up most of the night with her insatiable appetite for his body. Sex during the second trimester might just kill him. Which is why he keeps nodding off in his camp chair and dropping his fishing pole.

"Didn't sleep much," he groans rubbing his face. This just makes Merle smile and gives him a reason to annoy Daryl even more.

"Oh yeah? How come? Can't keep up with that pretty young girl you're all crazy about?" Merle asks waggling his eyebrows.

"Fuck no! Guess pregnant women get extra horny at about four months along." Merle about falls over in his chair at that and Daryl has a good laugh watching his big brother trip all over himself.

"Ya knocked her up? 'M gonna be an uncle? Shit baby brother when's the weddin'?" Merle asks when he finally rights his chair and gets them both another beer.

"Ain't getting married," Daryl says taking the bottle. Pup is sitting between them wagging his tail like he knows exactly what they're talking about.

"Now you need ta make her an honest woman! Wha's her daddy gonna say?" Merle lectures.

"Her daddy is fine with it. We'll do it when we're ready. Ain't neither of us going nowhere."

The more he thinks about it though, the more he likes the idea of her being his wife. She said she wants to be with him forever which blows his mind and makes his anxiety skyrocket if he lets it because she's perfect and she's having his baby and this isn't a dream. It's real. Fuck. It's real. He's gonna be a dad.

By the time he gets home it's after dark but not late. Her car is parked in front of the garage and the porch light is on and Pup beats him to the door. But when he gets inside it's quiet. Really quiet. Not a, 'she's not home' quiet but a, 'something's different' kind of quiet.

"Stay. Sit." Maybe she's sleeping. Pup in his excitement has jumped on the bed more than once and woke her up. She never complains she loves his damn dog. But they were up half the night and she's gotta be beat. He knows he is.

He finds her on their bed still wearing the hoodie she probably wore out shopping with her sister. Her shoes are off and she's curled up on her side right in the middle of the bed. He pulls his shirt off and kicks off his shoes and decides to take a shower in the morning. They didn't catch anything so he doesn't stink. He just wants to hold her.

"Pup," he calls softly and the dog comes trotting into the bedroom nose high sniffing. Daryl points to a pillow on the floor in the corner and Pup plops down on it. He's learning to stay on it at least most of the time.

After he pulls off his jeans Daryl crawls onto the bed and lowers himself down beside Beth.

"Hey mama, " he whispers kissing her cheek and then her lips.

"Daryl?" She smiles and stretches and the hoodie rides up over her belly. Daryl moves down so he can kiss it and press his ear against it listening for something, anything. All he hears is the gurgling in her stomach. He feels her fingers in his hair, scratching lazily at his scalp.

"Ya have a good day?" he asks running his hand over the bump that is their baby.

"Yeah, just really tired." She yawns pulling on his sleeve. "Come up here and kiss me for a while." Kissing leads to touching and touching always seems to leave them naked and trying to get as close as they possibly can. Not tonight. Tonight they sleep but there's always tomorrow.

"Don' get no ideas. We gotta sleep tonight Beth." He says it in what he hopes is a stern voice.

"I promise not to take advantage," she whispers. "I just want you to hold me." He helps her out of her clothes and gets one of his t-shirts for her because it's cold and she kicks the covers off in her sleep. Then he curls up around her and kisses the back of her neck making her moan softly.

"If ya wanna take advantage of me in the morning I probably won't put up much of a fight," he breathes into the curve of her neck. Her soft giggle makes his cock stir but not enough to warrant any attention.

"I'm gonna take you up on that Mr. Dixon." That's the last thing he hears, the best thing, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

At Beth's last appointment her doctor decided to move the ultrasound up a couple of weeks. The little bump is growing fast and Dr. Cloyd wants a good look at their tiny acrobat. Beth had been so excited when the baby started moving. That lasted about a week. Now Beth just wishes her not so little bump would figure out its days and nights. Daryl hasn't felt any movement yet and she can see his disappointment every time he presses his hand to her belly trying to feel what she feels.

He even voiced his concern at their last appointment which is huge. He answers the Dr.'s questions and engages in small talk but never asks his own questions. He lets Beth do it.

"It will happen, Daryl. It could be the baby settles under your touch. Your voice is deep too and it's not a proven thing but in my experience daddies with deep voices seems to be able to lull their little ones to sleep. Even in the womb." That seems to satisfy Daryl and on the drive home Beth press herself up against him and whispers in his ear,

"You're gonna be the most amazing daddy Daryl, this little bump already knows who you are." He needed that, needed to be reminded he's the other half of all of this. His smile as he drove and the way he rested a hand on her thigh protectively made her heart swell.

The ultrasound isn't done in the OBGYN office. It's in another building across town near the hospital they'll deliver at. Maggie and Glenn are waiting for them when they pull up. Beth invited them so Glenn could see what's coming for him and Maggie. He's been stressed out and worried about everything and it's sweet but it's driving Maggie crazy. The sisters are hoping this might help. Daryl teases Glenn, calls him a sissy, tells him to man up.

" 'S a tiny little baby man. Ya afraid of a baby?" Daryl can relate a little. But he won't admit it. He just teases Glenn to toughen him up.

Daryl parks the truck and makes her wait until he comes around to the passenger side to help her out. And she does need help. She's a petit person and her belly just keeps growing. She can't even imagine how big she'll be when she delivers. And she doesn't want to.

"Oh my god, Beth! You've gotten huge!" Beth stiffens and she hears Daryl suck in a breath behind her. He slips his arm around her waist and she lets him wrap himself around her and hold her even though she's fine now that she's out of the truck.

Maggie means well Beth knows that. She's making an observation is all. She has no idea that it's a sore spot for Beth. But Daryl does and Beth has stopped trying to make excuses for anything that hurts her feelings. She lets Daryl handle it in his own way and doesn't worry about anyone else feelings but his. This is how he takes care of her. This is his part in the pregnancy and alpha Daryl is too damn sexy to reign in.

"She's pregnant. Just like you... " Daryl growls raising an eyebrow.

"It's not an insult daddy Daryl… Beth is gorgeous. I hope I look as good as she does." Maggie does look good. She's taller and carries her pregnancy in a completely different way. She's also two months behind Beth.

"There is a person inside my body! I'm huge! And I have to pee!" Beth says moving her and Daryl towards the entrance. The sooner they get this over with the sooner she can use the bathroom. That is if she doesn't have an accident during the ultrasound.

Daryl, Maggie, and Glenn head into the examination room and Beth follows the nurse back to the changing rooms. She takes the gown and closes the curtain behind her and looks at herself in the full-length mirror. She's brave. She's strong. But she's scared. There's a small bench and she sits down on it and tries not to cry but it's no use the tears come and she wipes at her face and nose as she tries to toe-off her shoes.

"Ms. Greene? Are you okay? Do you need some help?" The nurse is on the other side of the curtain. Beth can see her feet but all she can do is breathe out a shaky breath before the gown falls on the floor and there is no way she can bend over in this small space and pick it up.

Less than a minute later the curtain is pulled back a little and Daryl slips in.

"Hey, Beth, wha's wrong baby?" His face, he looks just as scared as she feels and that's comforting somehow.

"Maggie's right. I'm huge and I can't… I dropped the gown."

"Lemme help ya." Somehow they manage to get her undressed and into the gown. The small space is made even smaller with Daryl in it. But it feels safe, she feels safer with him here, his gentle hands rubbing her belly and whispering that she's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, definitely the hottest pregnant woman in the world. He makes her laugh and she almost pees right there. But she's no longer scared with him beside her.

"Thank you, Daryl," she whispers before they leave the changing room.

"Don' gotta thank me. 'S my job, takin' care of my family." He holds her hand and takes her back to the examination room. And doesn't leave her side even when she's settled on the bed.

* * *

Being pregnant is the most exhausting thing he's ever been through and he's not even carrying his child. But watching Beth on the emotional rollercoaster she's on makes him feel more than he's ever felt. One minute he's helpless the next he's on top of the world because he was able to give her whatever it was she needed. It seems like all she ever really needs is him.

He makes her feel better.

He's holding her hand watching the radiologist rub gel on her belly and explains what they'll see on the screen. It's a big screen like a TV and it's on the wall so Maggie and Glenn can see too.

The images are blurry at first as the radiologist slides the transducer across Beth's belly. And even as the image clears it's still hard to make out what he's seeing.

"Okay here's baby! The head and right here, the blinking, that's the heart and then, oh… um…" The radiologist moves the transducer around faster looking closer at the small screen next to her.

"What? What's wrong? Is something…" Beth's voice breaks as she looks up at Daryl. "The baby… is something wrong?" Her eyes are pleading with him to do something, anything to fix this.

"What the hell's going on? Yer scaring her," Daryl says feeling his face heat up. He can't make out a single thing on the damn screen and if the radiologist was a man he'd probably punch him. Maybe.

"No, no. Nothing is wrong, Beth your babies are fine." She rests her hand on Beth's leg.

"Babies?" Beth breathes.

"What? Wait ain't there only suppose ta be one?" The room suddenly seems smaller than the little changing room he was just crowded into with Beth and he's sweating. He feels a chair bump the back of his knees and he sits without question.

"There's another heartbeat and," The radiologist slides the transducer over to the far side of Beth's belly, "definitely another baby."

"Twins!" Maggie claps.

"So I'm not just huge?" Beth asks.

Daryl feels hands on his shoulders and hears Glenn's voice low and amused.

"Come on man, don't be such a sissy! It's only two little tiny babies!"

**A/N Babies, babies everywhere! That's right they're having twins! Leave a note and let me know what you think! And thank you for being cool… I appreciate everything. The reads, the comments, and reviews… the kudos and favorites and follows! Be kind.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N 'Boxes' by The Goo Goo Dolls is basically this whole chapter…if you want to listen to it on repeat after the Merle and Daryl part. **

"Twins? Ya know that's two babies right? Two dirty diapers an two sets a lungs cryin' fer mama's..." Merle's brow furrows. "She gonna breastfeed? Can ya do two babies at once?"

"Shut yer damn fool mouth, Merle!" Daryl growls. Figures that's what Merle would fixate on. Although Daryl had wondered it himself when they found out about the twins. Breastfeeding had come up at one of her appointments and Beth had said that's what she planned on doing. Just like Merle, he'd wondered how in the hell she would feed both babies at once. He wondered how they were going to do a whole bunch of things with two babies instead of just one.

"They'll take turns, Daryl. I hope I can get them on a schedule right away." She seemed utterly unfazed by his concern.

"Yeah well, what if they're both hungry at the same time?"

"Well, it's possible to feed them both. I mean I have two…"

"Uh-huh." Yes, she has two breasts and frankly thinking about that part of her anatomy, one he likes a whole lot and his unborn babies kind of freaked him out.

"I'm gonna pump my milk. So if that happens you can bottle feed too."

Pumping her milk. That's another subject he's completely clueless about and would like to remain so but he probably won't because they're in this together and he's gonna be a dad and he wants to be a part of all of it. Even the weird shit that makes him uncomfortable. Like umbilical cords and placenta.

"Two little Dixon's running around in the world. I can' even 'magine… she gonna give them babies yer name if y'all ain' fixing ta get married?" They're sitting in Merle's garage drinking a beer before they start an engine rebuild on an old Chopper Merle found at an auction. Daryl mentioned the ultrasound and Merle had questions and they've been doing more talking than working and it's been good until the questions of breastfeeding and surnames came up.

"They got my last name," he says. It's on all the paperwork for Beth's doctor and the hospital. 'Dixon Babies'. It's what he wanted but he would have discussed it with Beth, they would've come to some sort of agreement. But she never asked, just filled in the little box with his last name.

"It's a good name. We made it good brother and yer little ones will continue ta do so." Merle always says Daryl's the soft one, but he's a big old sentimental sap. When he finally got his head on straight he gave Daryl back all the love they'd been denied growing up. They were all the other had in the world and they were family.

Daryl just shrugs and shares a look with Merle. They have done good, both of them. His kids won't be the little hellions he and Merle were. But they'll be Dixons. There's only one problem with that. He's a Dixon, his babies are gonna be Dixons, but his girl…

It's not even about being married exactly. It's about family. His family. His own little family with a beautiful girl he loves who loves him back and their babies and hell, even his damn dog is Pup Dixon at the Vet.

He wants Beth to be a Dixon too.

"Why ya looking so glum all a sudden?" Merle asks. And the way he asks, not like he's poking at Daryl but honestly asking gives Daryl the courage or stupidity depending on how Merle responds, to share a little of what he's feeling.

"Me an Beth talked about getting married but wasn' no big deal cause we're together," Daryl says chewing on his thumbnail.

"Yeah? An?" There's no mockery in Merle's tone.

"I'unno, I jus', I want us all ta be Dixon's. My family." Daryl juts his jaw out defiantly giving Merle one last chance to rib him about it.

"Then ya gotta tell her baby brother. Seems like she's the kinda gal that listens to her man and takes what he says ta heart, what he says matters." Daryl must have a look on his face because Merle laughs. "I got me one a them gals. You jus' have a talk with Beth. She might surprise ya."

Sitting here having a heart to heart with his big brother Daryl doesn't think anything else could surprise him as this has.

But.

"Yeah, maybe I should."

Daryl's been quiet the past week and Beth's noticed it. Daryl is, for the most part, a quiet man. But this is different. He's got something on his mind.

They're on the couch together listening to the rain. She's sitting between his legs and he's rubbing her lower back. He's the only one who can ease the ache the strain of the pregnancy is putting on her body.

Maggie gets massages a couple of times a week. She pays a massage therapist to rub her back. A stranger. Who she has to travel too. Beth has Daryl and Daryl has magic hands. He sat through a couple of youtube videos Beth's OBGYN suggested to check out some techniques for prenatal massages but his hands know her body almost as well as her own and the things he does are like an aphrodisiac. Which usually leads to them being naked and making other kinds of magic now that she's assured Daryl it won't hurt the babies. As long as Beth is comfortable they can keep doing whatever feels good.

"Daryl?" He doesn't respond with words but his hands still on her back for a couple of seconds. "Something is bothering you." She doesn't ask hoping this way he won't try and deny it.

But of course, he does.

" 'M good," he murmurs but there's very little conviction in it.

"Are you worried about me? Or the babies?" His hands still again then slide around her belly and he rests his chin on her shoulder.

"Prolly some." But that's not what's bothering him, she must be getting close though because he's listening now and not avoiding the question.

"I think that's normal, to worry. But that's not what's bothering you is it?" His sigh against her neck makes her shiver.

"No." She's in awe of the fact that it didn't take all that much prodding to get him to admit that something is indeed bothering him. And now that he has she's gonna do what he always tries to do for her. She's going to fix it if she can.

"Talk to me. Please." He leans back against the couch and she turns in his lap so she can see him. His lip trapped between his teeth and the nervous pull to his brow sets her nerves on edge. What's got him so worked up?

"I'unno… 's dumb," he eyes her as he raises his thumb to his mouth to chew on the nail and peeks at her from underneath a fringe of hair.

"How about you let me be the judge of that?" she asks gently taking his hand and lowering it to her lap.

"Ya gave the babies my last name. On the paperwork at the doctor's office," he says.

Oh.

"I did. I thought… I'm sorry Daryl I should've talked to you about it first. I just figured you would want them to have your name..." But she hadn't asked.

"I do. I mean if it was alright with… 's not that. The babies are gonna be Dixon's like me. An you… I want ya ta be a Dixon too. I want us all… 's our family." He shrugs and looks down at his hand in her lap avoiding her again. Cupping his chin in her hand she raises his face and looks into his blue, blue eyes. Eyes she gets lost in whenever he looks at her. Eyes she hopes at least one of their babies has. Eyes that belong to the man she loves.

"You want to get married?" she whispers.

"We ain't gotta plan no wedding or nothin'. We could just do the courthouse like we talked-"

"Are you proposing?" She's teasing because she doesn't need that, a proposal. What he wants and the reasons why it's everything. It's perfect. It's Daryl.

"Fuck! 'M doin' it wrong. Hang on just…" he lifts her legs gently and slips out from underneath her before tearing out of the living room and leaving her bewildered on the couch.

When he met her he wasn't thinking about babies or weddings or anything more than whether or not he'd get to see her again. And keep seeing her for however long. Because not seeing her made him feel empty.

She made a space for herself inside his heart right from the beginning.

After his talk with Merle, he stopped in a little jewelry store a couple of towns over. Just to look. But he saw a ring, a small ring. One not likely to be chosen for the purpose of proposing. At least by most people. But he's not most people and Beth isn't like any other woman he knows.

Sitting on the edge of the bed he opens the drawer on his bedside table. The ring is in a small velvet drawstring bag but he can't just hand her that. It didn't come with a box. What he knows about proposing comes from movies and TV and isn't him at all. So he'll do it his way, which he's not entirely sure of yet. Slipping the tiny ring on his pinky he heads back out to the living room.

She's still on the couch and her baby belly makes the rest of her look even smaller. She's all tummy and he finds it incredibly sexy. Her pregnant body makes him feel things that definitely can't be appropriate. But she doesn't mind. He makes her feel beautiful when she feels like a beached whale. Her words, not his. She's the cocoon for their little butterflies. She told him that's what it felt like when they first started moving before he could feel them.

He feels them all the time now and they definitely aren't butterflies anymore, more like bear cubs rolling around in their little cave just waiting for hibernation to end.

Pup raises his head when Daryl comes back to the couch. The dog is never very far from Beth. It's like he knows something is going on. He rests his head in her lap whenever he can get away with it. Daryl used to try and shoo the dog away but Beth made him stop.

"I think he knows they're in there and that they're gonna belong to him too." As corny as it sounds, she's probably on to something. Carol confirmed it when she asked about the dog's behavior.

"You saw what he did with that coyote Daryl. You guys are his pack. The babies are going to be like his puppies. Just make sure he knows his boundaries. He's an amazing dog though and I think he's going to be good with the babies." Pup is partially responsible for these babies, Daryl can't deny that. So he lets the dog get and give all the loving he wants with Beth.

Settling down on the couch beside her he holds out his pinky where the little ring sparkles.

"Oh, Daryl…"

"It's kinda small-"

"Daryl it's beautiful... it's, it's exactly what I would've picked." Reaching out she touches the diamond and runs her finger around the delicate band. He knew it when he saw it. It was something she'd like. Her eyes are shining with tears as Daryl takes it off of his pinky and looks at her.

"So ya think ya might wanna marry me?" He holds his breath even though he isn't afraid she'll say no. But it's a big deal. He's never proposed. Hell, he's never been in love.

"I don't have to think. I know I do. I've known all along I wanted something with you, something that would last. And well I didn't exactly figure it would happen like this but that's the best part. I never saw it coming." She's full-on bawling now and most of the time her tears make him feel helpless but sometimes, like right now, they make him feel like he's on top of the world.

"I wanted to keep you the minute we met, never wanted ta let ya go," he murmurs pulling her close and taking her hand. The ring fits perfectly like it was meant for her hand and only hers. She holds it out in front of them admiring it.

"If we do the courthouse I won't have to find a dress that fits my big belly and we could have a little dinner after…" she says softly pulling his arm around her waist and resting his hand on her tummy.

"An if ya want a dress later and flowers and music and cake…" he mumbles hoping she's not just doing this for him. She's been doing a lot for him, moving into his house, giving the babies his last name before they even talked about all the rest of it. He loves her. He'll give her the world. She's given him one he never thought he'd live in.

"Yeah we can but Daryl none of that matters. I've got you. We've got them," she says pressing his hand tighter against her belly as the twins begin their evening wrestling session. Pressing his nose into her hair he rubs her belly.

"I got all of ya," he says watching her face. "But ya ain't gotta rush if…" Insecurity thickens his voice and it's frustrating and he's uncomfortable because he just wants this to be good and right.

And it is. It really is. He's never had it so good and sometimes it's hard to accept the fact that he deserves it and can have it.

Beth's sweet smile breaks him, twists him up inside. She pushes his shoulders until he's leaning back against the couch then she crawls into his lap, straddles him, her belly between them.

"What's this all about Daryl?" She asks gently rubbing her hands over his chest in soothing circles. Shrugging he looks up at her.

"I don' know…"

"I love you." Leaning in as best she can she presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Feel like I'm havin' the best dream ever an any second now 'm gonna wake up," he mumbles reaching for her waist, letting his hands cup her belly.

"Me too," she whispers sliding her hands around his neck and into his hair.

"I ain't a dream come true girl," he growls moving his hands from her belly to her full breasts. Her nipples harden under his palms.

"You're mine." It hurts. And it's pathetic. She loves him and he needs to get over whatever all this shit is. Beth's here in his arms and she's wearing his ring and having his babies. This. Is. His. Life.

"Ya ain't scared?" he breathes letting his hands move down to cup her ass, pull her closer, as close as he can without squeezing too tight.

"I'm terrified! Is it gonna hurt? Will I be a good mom? Can I handle two babies… god, Daryl…" His mouth is on her neck and he's sucking at the tender flesh as he rubs his thumbs over her sensitive nipples.

"You're gonna be an amazing mama," he whispers against her pulse. "But if I ain't enough.. an yer stuck with me…"

She pushes away from him. Her face is flushed but the confusion in her eyes makes it impossible to enjoy what he's done to her body. His stupid head and all his ridiculous thoughts, cause that's all they are. He knows that, for the most part.

"Are you scared? Of being stuck with me?" Her blue eyes are wide but she really can't be serious, she's pulling his leg, teasing him because he's being such a baby.

"Ya fuckin' kiddin' me girl?"

"Are you?" He wants to stop talking and get back to the part where they take off their clothes.

"No. No way, rather be stuck with you than anywhere else in the whole fuckin' world." He pulls her close again and slides his hands under her shirt, or his shirt to be exact. She's not wearing a bra which isn't something new but she's bigger on top…. So.

"That's how I feel too," she sighs as he runs his fingers up her ribcage and cups her breasts in his hands. He should've known where this was headed. Every single time he rubs her back… but he's not complaining, not at all.

She's gonna have his babies in three months and his cock is rock hard. The way she's straddling him, this is how they have sex most of the time. And he's not the only one with sex on the brain. Sometimes all he does is look at her and she takes it as an invitation to get naked.

Her pregnant body turns him on and he's not going to feel guilty about it at all.

Her pregnant belly makes anything sexual an exercise in creativity. But it feels so good it's worth the trial and error of what's going to work and what just makes her laugh or more times than not, groan in frustration.

And she's always turned on.

His back rubs, his gravelly voice, his arms wrapped around her, all he has to do is look at her a certain way and boom she's wet and ready and he loves it and she loves him so it's always a win-win situation. Not that it ever wasn't, to begin with.

"I love you father of my babies and I need you to fuck me right now…" she demands in a hoarse whisper arching into his touch. He loves it when she talks dirty to him, says words nice girls don't say.

"That right?" He slips her shirt over her head and tosses it aside then over and takes a hard nipple into his mouth. She watches as he sucks on it and marvels at the fact that he used to be able to get his mouth over her entire breast. Not anymore.

"God! I'm huge!" she breathes and he groans around her breast. "Will you miss it, when they're back to normal?" She's not afraid to hear his answer. Men like big breasts most of the time, but Daryl always seemed to like her small breasts. He liked her small body in general but he can't get enough of her pregnant body either. Which is a good thing considering she can't get enough of him.

"Uh uh. Those are my favorite… these ain't mine, they belong to our little cubs. But I like playing with 'em." He peppers kisses across the tops of both breasts and tugs her in closer. "Time ta get these leggings off," he says huskily.

There's nothing graceful about shimmying out of her leggings but with Daryl's help, she manages to get them off as well as his jeans and then she climbs back in his lap because so far this is their favorite position. There are certainly others that are easier and less complicated but his face is what she wants to look at. Not a pillow or the kitchen countertop or the tile wall in their shower… His face and his mouth and those blue eyes that make her feel like a goddess even when the mirror makes her think differently.

His cock juts up between them, hard and flushed a dark red, the head glistening with precum. Raising on her knees she grabs his shoulders for leverage and moves to take him inside of her.

"Wait, ya ready? Lemme…" His hand running along her thigh makes her shiver and when he brushes her sex with his fingers she whimpers. "Jesus girl," he breathes kissing her cheek then her lips, "yer so fuckin' wet…" Slipping a finger between her folds he works her clit and every nerve in her body lights up.

"You love it," she gasps. He lifts her, effortlessly and lowers her over him, fills her up. It's not just sex, it's something more spiritual, at least for her and maybe someday she'll try and explain it to him, but this connection makes her feel whole. He thrusts his hips up and trusts her to meet him as she sinks down on his cock. He slides a hand behind her head and rests his forehead against hers.

"I love you baby mama…" His small smirk doesn't take away from the look in his eyes and that look like she's his whole world, everything he needs and wants is what pushes her over the edge and takes him with her.

Seconds, minutes, an hour later, Beth isn't even sure. Daryl grabbed a blanket and pulled it up around them where they sat. She curved around her belly and rested a head on his shoulder, his hair brushing her face. His cock is softening inside of her and their babies are safely tucked between them and this, like the look in his eyes as he fucked her, is everything.

She never saw it coming, none of it and it really is the best part.

They decide on a courthouse wedding. Or Beth decides because he left it up to her. He can take or leave a wedding with all the stuff and all the things that weddings entail. He just wants this, a name, a family and it might be trivial to some why it matters that she shares his name, hell it's trivial to him if he tries to give words to the reasons why.

So he doesn't try he just feels and Beth respects his feelings and she's so fucking giddy as they head out to the truck he can't help but smile. He opens her door and holds her hand as she climbs in. Her short dress blows up a little in the breeze giving him a glimpse of her ivory skin. She's still so small, all belly and boobs. Yeah, those boobs are fun.

Pup jumps in on the driver's side and sits in the middle. Beth was adamant that the dog comes with them. And she isn't at all concerned with being allowed to take him in. Daryl likes the idea but has a feeling Pup will be waiting in the truck. The dog is back in his spot in the middle because the seat belt is a lap belt and Daryl flat out refused to let Beth continue riding there once her belly started to grow. She didn't try and convince him otherwise

"I want to go get a new driver's license and oh I'll need to reapply for a social security card. Maybe on line… and my bank card-" She's ticking things off on her fingers as she says them and brushing back an errant curl that keeps falling across her cheek. His fingers are itching to tuck it behind her ear and kiss her glossy pink lips until she's quiet.

"Slow down girl. Yer gonna have babies… we can take care of all that other shit eventually," Daryl says putting the truck in reverse.

"Other shit? I'm marrying you, changing my name! I'm gonna be Beth Dixon and I want to see it everywhere," she says exasperated. And in that second he loves her more than he thought he could because he loves her the most.

He looks over at her flushed face and reaches around Pup for her hand. She's been like a little hurricane these past couple of weeks organizing the things she has in the nursery. They're having a small wedding reception slash baby shower at the farm after their appointment. Daryl has no doubt he'll be bringing home a truckload of stuff she'll want to open up and wash and fold and put away.

But not tonight, tonight he's got plans and they don't involve leaving their bedroom.

"I got yer back Beth Dixon. Don' ya worry I wanna see that name everywhere too," he says softly.

"I like it best when you say it, Daryl." Her fingers tighten around his and her other hand rests on her belly. This is one of those times when he wants to remember everything, commit it to memory so he never forgets the day he got to marry his girl.

It's almost a month to the day that he asked her to marry him on the couch in their living room. They had to get a marriage license and then make an appointment. He was disappointed when he found out it would take so long but now that they're here and it's happening he's nervous. There's no reason except he's getting married. He never ever thought he'd be making these kinds of vows.

He helps Beth done from the truck and clips a leash on Pup. The spring breeze ruffles her hair and the soft pink dress she chose. She also picked out a light blue button-up shirt for him. It's not his style but she thought it would be cute if they wore colors for the babies and he's nowhere near fuckin' cute but she is and it made her so happy when he walked out wearing the shirt. If he can make her smile just by wearing an itchy baby blue shirt he'll do it. He'll do just about anything for her smile.

Hershel and Merle are waiting up by the doors. They needed two witnesses and even though Maggie pitched a fit Beth had been adamant about having her daddy with her. Merle was a given. Daryl had stood next to his brother as his best man when he married Carol, it was only fitting that Merle does the same for him.

"Carol sent these flowers for ya," Merle says holding out a plastic box with a corsage for Beth's wrist and a boutonniere for Daryl. Yellow roses and baby's breath with a satin cream colored bow.

"And Tara sent this," Hershel holds out a black bow tie. It's the clip-on kind. "She said to clip it on Pup's collar." Hershel smiles and hands it to Daryl. The old man looks amused

"What the…"

"That's so cute!" Beth gushes. And smiles. And Daryl clips the tie on Pup whispering in his ear, "Sorry 'bout that boy, gotta keep her happy."

They barely managed to get past the guard at the front door with the dog. But Beth brought on the waterworks and told him the story of how Pup was the reason they were here and that without him she never would have met and fallen in love with Daryl and please could Pup just come in?

"I need him there!"

The guard handed her a tissue and clipped a small yellow tag with the words 'service animal' on it next to the black bow tie on Pup's collar and wished them all the best. Daryl Hershel and Merle just shook their heads as they followed her into the elevator.

"See? No problem." Beth said and Pup sat beside her his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging. He'll do anything for Beth too. Daryl is sure of it.

The entire process takes less than ten minutes and as Beth signs her new name on the certificate Daryl leans in and whispers in her ear, "I love ya, Beth Dixon." She giggles and hugs him and Merle pulls out his phone and tells them to pose. Daryl groans and Beth takes his hand.

"Come on Daryl… for me? Just one picture?" He hates his picture taken but…

It's for her and he feels like a big dork holding onto his dog who's wearing a bow tie and he lets Merle take a couple of pictures but just as he's about to flip his brother off Beth gasps.

"You okay? Whas'..." She's looking at her feet and he glances down at the puddle forming on the linoleum. "Ya need ta use the bathroom, Beth?"

"My… my water broke Daryl," she breathes and reaches for his hand.

**A/N So I'm guessing they won't make it to their party? And if you're wondering exactly how far along Beth is… it's the middle of her 7th month around 35 weeks.**

**Leave a note! Please! Thank you so much for reading and for putting up with my erratic posting! I appreciate you all so much! **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N the babies are here, the babies are here! And Beth is a Dixon, barely and now the fun begins! And because FF doesn't have tags... #major character death.**

Daryl wants a cigarette. Which really isn't anything new. He's a smoker so he craves them. He's not a chain smoker. He can go for hours, sometimes days without one. And more recently that's what he's been doing, going without. Smoking around Beth was out the minute she told him she was pregnant. And he never smoked in his house before her except for a couple of times when life became a little much and he gave in.

But right now he could really use a fucking cigarette.

Only.

Absolutely nothing, not even a gun to his head could make him put down his newborn son and walk outside to smoke.

He's watching the rise and fall of his son's tiny chest. He's marveling at the way the baby's minuscule eyelashes flutter in his fretful sleep. And the grip Mateo has on his thumb might actually bring him to tears. Again. Because he already soaked the collar of his t-shirt wiping away the few that leaked out watching Beth try and breathe through the pain as the nurse kept saying,

'_Just breathe through it Beth, it'll pass.'_

Those had been tears of anger at the nurse for saying stupid shit, at himself for getting Beth pregnant and making her go through the pain and even at Beth, just a little, for trying to smile whenever he caught her eye, showing him a brave face so he wouldn't worry.

As if.

The other tears were tears of wonder as he cradled each little baby, naked, red, and screaming, in his hands so Beth could kiss them before they whisked them off to the NICU.

'_Standard procedure with preemies Mr. Dixon. You can come with your babies if you'd like.'_

He'd been torn. Leaving Beth behind felt wrong on every level of his heart but he was a father now and there were certain things expected of him... she made the decision for him, told him to go, they couldn't go alone, they needed their daddy. Walking away from her hadn't hurt any less though.

He got choked up again when he wheeled his son and daughter into their mommy's room where they'd been cleared to stay until he and Beth took them home.

Home. He'd had to stand back and scrub at his eyes while the nurse went over breastfeeding basics before leaving the little family alone to get acquainted. Once the door clicked shut behind the nurse Daryl had helped Beth sit up and tuck a couple of pillows up close to her and then he'd laid each baby in her arms.

Mateo and Paisley. 5 lbs. and 4.9 lbs respectively.

Beth had counted their fingers and toes, ran her fingers over their nonexistent eyebrows and kissed them both until Paisley started fussing and Daryl took Mateo so she could give the whole breastfeeding thing a try. Paisley fussed and squirmed in Beth's arms making her mommy cry and question her ability to feed her baby. Daryl stood by helpless afraid to breathe for fear of waking up the baby in his arms. And he couldn't even be a little bit mad at his daughter for making Beth cry because she's his girl too.

That's when the itch for a cigarette first started. Eventually, baby and mommy got the hang of it and Beth settled back against the pillows and sang softly to her brand new baby girl.

Now Daryl is sitting in the 'dad' recliner someone wheeled in for him and holding his son. A few minutes ago he decided he didn't care if he ever smoked again. But Mateo's squirming and whimpering. Which means...

"Daryl come switch with me. He's probably hungry." He glances over at Beth and then down at Mateo. Switching means standing up and carrying his son and that kicks his need to smoke into high gear.

Standing he shifts the tiny bundle in his arms and walks slowly over to Beth. They manage to trade babies and Paisley is still fast asleep as he straightens, holding her close to his chest.

"Put her down and come lay with me," It's an odd feeling to be torn. Beth has been his one and only for so many months now. She's the first person he ever loved more than anything else in the world. Until them, his newborn son and daughter. But Paisley's tummy is full and she's sleeping and the need to finally hold Beth after watching her give birth to his children makes it easy to lay the baby down and ease gently onto the hospital bed next to Beth.

"He's doing it," Daryl marvels. Mateo is cuddled up in Beth's arms suckling at her breast without fussing like his sister. Beth nods running her finger over the baby's soft cheek.

"He is…" Mateo's eyelids flutter at the sound of her voice and he opens his eyes wide and stares up at her. Daryl hears the intake of her breath and when she exhales it's broken, like a sob.

"Hey whas' wrong? Beth?" He slides his arm down between her and the pillows pulling her close.

"Look at him, just…" Daryl looks at the baby but he can't help looking at her either. There are tears in her eyes and on her cheeks but she's smiling and it's all very confusing. And he's at a loss as to what to say.

"He's perfect," Daryl says. He is. He still kinda looks like a hairless little bunny rabbit to Daryl. But in his mama's eyes, he's perfect.

"He looks like you Daryl," she breathes. How on Earth this tiny person can look like anything or anyone yet is beyond him but once again Beth's the mama and whatever she says goes. "I wished for a baby with eyes like yours and…" she's crying again. Daryl leans in and presses his lips to her temple and looks down at his son.

And he can see it. He can see himself in the tiny face. Mateo's eyes are a different color and shape than Paisley's. They're his eyes. Beth's right, he's got his daddy's eyes. Daryl's own eyes burn with tears. Again. And this time he doesn't try and scrub them away. He lets them roll over his cheeks and get caught in Beth's hair as he cups his big hand covered in callouses and scars around his son's head.

He doubts his dad had a moment like this with him or Merle but his dad missed out on a lot of moments that Daryl has vowed to himself to be there for with his children.

* * *

Even though it doesn't feel like when she's in the middle of it, time flies and the twins grow so fast it's impossible to imagine them being as tiny as they were when Beth and Daryl brought them home. The milestones come and go and some are easier than others like pumping breastmilk and letting Daryl help feed the babies.

Mateo goes easily between the two just as happy to take a bottle from his daddy as he is to nurse at his mama's breast. Paisley, who gave her grief in the beginning, prefers Beth be the one to feed her but has no problem falling asleep in her daddy's strong arms when he rocks away a bout of colic.

Moving the twins into their own room in a shared crib at a month and a half old proves to be a little bit harder. And surprisingly enough it's not Beth who struggles with the separation.

They're driving home from both Beth and the twins 6-week check-up. The babies are thriving and gaining weight like they're supposed to and when Beth asks about sex her doctor tells her anything is fine as long as it doesn't hurt. She'd smiled over at Daryl where he sat ignoring her and rocking the two baby carriers. His face was bright red though and she knew for a fact he heard everything the doctor said and had just been pretending he hadn't.

She waits until they're in the car before she says anything.

"We got the official okay Daryl… we can… you know…" she says reaching over to lay her palm on his thigh and squeeze gently. Daryl glances over at her as he raises his thumb to his mouth chewing on the nail.

"What 'bout the babies?" he mumbles. She expected this and she's ready now. She'd been ready to get their sex life back on track two weeks ago. She'd seduced him or so she thought but she'd mistaken his ambivalence for a lack of desire due to her soft post-pregnancy body.

She'd started crying and he'd tried to explain saying he didn't want to hurt her, he couldn't handle that and the babies were right there next to them and what if they woke up. His kisses and the fact that his body was reacting like it was supposed to had consoled her somewhat.

The doctor had said to wait 6 weeks, at least, until resuming regular sexual activity. And Daryl was a stickler about following the doctor's orders. It was like he was afraid of doing anything wrong. He's been so wonderful helping her and not complaining about anything which she hadn't expected complaints from him anyway. He told her in the hospital that they were in this together, 50/50. He wanted to be a part of all of it.

And he has been. Diaper changes, late-night feedings, tummy aches, baths… he does everything Beth does and maybe even more sometimes when he lets her sleep longer than she should or finishes all the laundry instead of separating it between the two of them.

He's definitely daddy of the year.

But.

She wants her husband back. She wants his kisses and his hands and the noises he draws out of her and the ones she coaxes out of him. And he wants her too, she knows that. He's been dreaming and whispering her name and pulling her close in his sleep although not all of his body is sleeping soft.

"We can move them into the nursery tonight. It's so beautiful in there. I think they'll love it." This is where the problem lies. It's been the four of them in their bedroom. And the bassinet Mateo and Paisley have been sharing is on his side of the bed and sometimes she hears him talking to them, sweet nothings, loving them with words and gentle touches and it makes her heart swell. He loves his children, this man who never really knew that kind of love.

And that makes her love him even more if that's possible. It also makes her want to jump his bones at any given time.

"Yeah," he says without much conviction but he lays his hand over hers and squeezes just like she did.

"They could stay in with us. We could be quiet, I mean they're only babies they don't-"

"Think ya could keep quiet with my hands and mouth on ya?" he asks. The twinkle in his eyes is proof he wants it too but she knows it's going to take a little pushing on her part to help him let go just a little.

"I don't wanna be quiet Daryl… I want you. It's been too long," she whispers running her hand along his thigh until there's no more leg left and she curls her fingers around his hardness. He growls softly under his breath.

"Can't be doing that while I'm driving woman!" he says hoarsely.

"You want me…" she teases and he glares at her for a second before focusing on the road again.

"Fuck ya I do! Been having these damn dreams… but 's jus'..." Just hard to let them out of his sight even if he isn't looking at them all the time. She gets it. And she doesn't doubt for a minute that she'll have her own sleepless nights listening intently to the baby monitor and getting up to check on them more than once.

"We can wait another week if you-"

"Nah, how about we give it a try tonight." He's smiling at her. Of course, her hand on the bulge in his jeans could have something to do with his willingness right now. But she'll take that.

They didn't have to try all that hard, at least for the first couple of nights. The babies went to sleep on their own in their crib and Beth and Daryl had the bed to themselves and they didn't sleep at all. But it had nothing to do with babies.

And Pup, who always slept on the floor beside Daryl's bed slept in the hall between the two bedrooms as if he couldn't decide which room he wanted to be in anymore.

The little reprieve didn't last. The twin's sleep schedules changed. Paisley got her days and nights all mixed up after Beth ate lasagna with garlic. Mateo went through a three week period where the only one who could console him was Daryl and sometimes Daryl wasn't home which meant baby and mama both cried.

All Beth's fantasies of spending the evenings cuddled up in bed with Daryl while her perfect babies slept in their own room were shot to hell. She was exhausted and sore and spent most days counting down the hours until Daryl would be home.

This won't last forever and someday she'll miss it. That's what keeps her going. That and her equally exhausted husband who still manages to whisper dirty things in her ear at 2:30 in the morning when they have 30 minutes of peace and quiet. And they do manage to have their time together even if it's rushed and his hand gets tangled in her hair that is sticky with spit-up.

He still professes his undying love to her, makes her feel beautiful even when what she sees in the mirror contradicts everything he says.

He thanks her every day for giving him a family. That's what she focuses on when she doesn't think she can do anything more.

* * *

The house is hardly ever quiet anymore. And if it is something is wrong or they just got lucky.

When he comes home that evening one baby is hollering and the other is fussing and he drops his things on the table and makes his way to the nursery but Beth and the babies aren't there so he heads to their bedroom and finds his unhappy little family in the middle of his and Beth's bed. She's sitting cross-legged with a baby on each side of her and all three of them are crying. Pup's beside the bed with his muzzle resting on the comforter. He's never far from the babies, just like Carol predicted.

"Whas' going on here?" It comes out a little louder than he intended but it gets their attention. The twins are squirming around on the bed turning their little heads trying to find him. Beth's in one of his T-shirts and some leggings a messy bun piled on top of her head and a frown on her face. Kicking off his boots he crawls on the bed with them. He picks up Mateo and kisses his wet cheeks. He lays him down beside his sister and kisses her flushed cheeks too. Then he crawls behind Beth and pulls her back against him and buries his face against her neck.

"Hard day?" he whispers still kissing her. She nods and pulls his arms around her. Daryl looks down at the babies waving their arms and kicking their feet their eyes never leaving his face.

"We've been crying," Beth says softly. He knows she feels like a failure whenever this happens and he knows it won't last. So he does what he always does and tries to make it better.

"I see that," he murmurs finding her earlobe and nibbling on it. The babies are still watching every move he makes. "Y'all made yer mama cry," he says looking at them. The waving and the kicking stop as they listen. "Ain't nice ta do that ta my girl!" Paisley lets out a little shriek and Mateo gurgles.

"That so? That's all ya got ta say fer yerselves? Y'all er ganging up on mama but daddy's home and now we're even. Whatcha gotta say about that?" He reaches down and grabs Mateo's toes. The babies have just started smiling in response to their voices and it's his favorite thing, making them smile.

"Sure smile now that he's here you little stinker," Beth says. But he can hear the smile in her voice and the way she's holding on to his arms, she's pretty happy he's here too. And he'd rather be here than anywhere else. Even when everyone is crying.

" 'S Friday. Ya got me all weekend, ain't goin' nowhere," he says softly pulling her closer. She turns a little in his arms, tilts her head and finds his lips with hers. They're just getting into it when tiny giggles force their lips apart and they stare down at the twins.

The babies rolled over onto their sides and they're facing each other. Paisley has a handful of Mateo's onesie and they're looking at each other and giggling like they're sharing a secret.

"Daryl? They're laughing! Oh my… look at them!" He is. It's pretty amazing. Paisley is still giggling and Mateo is making little cooing noises like looking at his sister is the best thing in his whole entire world.

"Think she's gonna be the boss," Daryl says. It's perfect. For a second. Then Paisley bops Mateo in the face and he starts crying and it startles her and she starts crying but Beth is laughing in his arms so he's managed to make one of his people happy.

"It's time for diapers and bottles. Which one do you want?" Beth asks and Daryl points at Paisley. "I figured…" she sighs.

"That boy pees on me every time I take his diaper off! How come he don' do that ta you?" Beth just laughs in response and as she leans forward to pick up her son Daryl pulls her back and hugs her to him.

" 'S gonna get easier but it ain't never gonna get no better than this right here," he murmurs into her hair.

Next week it will be diaper rashes and then teething will come along and pretty soon they'll both be walking and getting into everything. It's always going to be something but Daryl wouldn't have it any other way. And they'll be there handling it all, together.

* * *

Watching Daryl be the father he never had makes her heartache. It's a good ache even though the reasons why he tries so hard are tainted with an ugliness their babies will never know. He wants to be a part of everything, even the things that make him uncomfortable like parent-teacher conferences and meeting friends for playdates.

But he does it all. Sometimes with Beth and sometimes without her. On those rare occasions that he does something on his own Beth makes sure she shows him her gratitude in all the ways he loves.

She got pregnant before they even got to be together for the simple fact that they liked each other. They were married with babies even before they celebrated their first-year anniversary. She doesn't regret it, not any of it because it feels so right. They're a family and it was meant to be. But sometimes she just wants him all to herself.

Ember Rhee was born six months after the twins and transformed Maggie into mega-mommy. Well, the twins might have nudged her in that direction too because she takes her role as aunt Maggie just as serious as her role as a mommy. But she also came up with date nights and the fact that they could trade-off babysitting. Beth loved that idea because she could have what she wanted and needed sometimes, just Daryl.

At first, it was dinners and long drives in the woods on the bike when the weather permitted. Then there was an all-day fishing trip where very little fishing happened because there was a waterfall and a swimming hole. Who knew Daryl Dixon enjoyed skinny dipping?!

Now its a weekend, an entire weekend to themselves. A sleepover at Aunt Maggie's, a trip to the children's' museum, it's all the twins have talked about for a week.

And Beth and Daryl have a little cabin waiting for them in the Chattahoochee forest.

Beth is ecstatic. Daryl is ambivalent. It's like moving them to their crib in the nursery all over again.

"Daryl?" Her husband is standing in the kitchen with the twins who are finishing a quick lunch before they go to Maggie's house. Their little suitcases are packed with two small sleeping bags rolled up on top. Maggie has a guest room with beds for them but they wanted to pack just like Beth packed for her and Daryl.

He looks a little lost. She's trying not to let herself turn this into anything other than what it is. Walking over to the counter where he's standing watching the twins eat and slips her hand into his.

"They'll be fine. Probably won't even miss us much." The twins celebrated their third birthday almost four months ago and they are both very independent. They spend time with their grandpa and Maggie. They go to preschool three days a week. Carol and Merle and Sophia take them to the movies and the park. But they've never stayed away overnight, let alone a whole weekend.

"We ain't never left them overnight," Daryl says quietly. Pup is lying under the table waiting for something, anything to fall on the floor so he can grab it.

"Pup will be with them too," Maggie suggested keeping Pup at her house and letting the twins take care of him there. Glenn loves the dog and Maggie is looking into adopting a puppy for Ember for her third birthday.

It's perfect. Nothing to worry about. But Daryl is still worried and Beth is feeling a little frustrated because she thought her husband would be as giddy as she is or was because right now her mood is a little deflated.

Letting go of Daryl's hand she pastes a smile on her face and starts cleaning up the table. Before Mateo can get away she plops him on the counter beside the sink and wipes his face with a wet paper towel. His small face mirrors Daryl's in every way and sometimes when she thinks about the little boy Daryl was she can't help loving on Mateo even harder.

"Mama! Stop!" He twists his head trying to avoid her attempts to clean his peanut butter and jelly face.

"You're a mess! Did you eat any of that sandwich or are you wearing it?" she teases leaning in to kiss his cheeks and his nose.

"Wearing it!" Mateo giggles. She finishes with his face and sets him down.

"Who's going to help me pack Pups things?" Of course, both kids are hollering, 'me, me, me'. As they follow Beth into the laundry room she glances over her shoulder to look at Daryl. He's still standing by the counter thinking too hard she's sure. Sighing she turns away. Maybe once they're on the road he'll be better.

Drop off is simple because the twins are gone the minute Maggie opens the door. Pup follows them like he always does, the ever-watchful guardian. Daryl has their things and he sets them on the couch and wanders out in the family room where the kids took off too.

"He doesn't want to go," Beth says sadly watching his departing back.

"What?" Maggie's asks as she takes the bag, Beth, hands her. Pups food and his leash and a big rubber bone he likes but will probably ignore in favor of hanging out with his favorite little people.

"Daryl. He's not excited at all about spending the weekend with me. I thought… we're always busy with the twins and work and don't get me wrong I love our little life… but I just thought," she can't believe she's crying. It's ridiculous and she really should stop but when Maggie hugs her it's like the floodgates have been opened.

"Hey, Bethy he loves you. He just, god he loves those kids! I mean every parent loves their babies but I think that Daryl just holds on a little tighter. You've told me he's determined to be everything his dad wasn't." Maggie says gently rubbing her sisters back.

"He is… and he's the best daddy. I kinda feel left out and that's so incredibly stupid!" she laughs and moves from Maggie's embrace.

"It's not. I think it's normal. Go get him and get out of here. Tell him how you feel." Beth thinks about that for a minute. She'll have him in the car and he won't be able to walk away. They can talk. Or she can and he'll listen. "Give him a blow job while he drives, that always cheers up Glenn."

"Maggie!" Beth exclaims.

The twins give Beth and Daryl hugs and squeezes and Beth feels a little tug at her heart. They won't see them until Sunday evening. That's a long time. And if Daryl is a grumpy the whole time Beth may never leave for the weekend again. Pup's on the couch with Glenn and barely notices them as they head out the door.

It makes her feel funny, the lack of concern but she shakes it off and climbs in the truck and turns on the radio. Rolling the window down she lets in the sun and the breeze and sings along. Daryl doesn't say much but he reaches for her hand and holds it. And when they stop for burgers at a little roadside diner he steals her fries and kisses her cheek. She puts off saying anything about how she's feeling until they get to the little cabin. But as they park in the gravel drive beside the tiny house he reaches for her and pulls her close.

" 'M sorry fer being an ass," he murmurs his breath warm against her temple.

"I'm gonna miss them too. Leaving them… they weren't even sad. And you didn't seem like you wanted to go and I just want you and me to be… I don't know." Twisting around in the seat she all but climbs in his lap.

"Thought I mighta got a blow job…" he says huskily looking her right in the eyes. It makes her shiver when he talks like this without looking away.

"You heard Maggie?" He nods and slides his hand behind her head tangling his fingers in her hair. "I wasn't sure the mood was… right," she confesses. Her whole body is tingling because this is what she wanted, what she hoped for.

All those crazy first time feelings, not that the ones in between have been any less, but feeling the way they felt in the beginning, getting that reassurance that babies and parenthood haven't taken away the passion was something she was hoping for.

"Yer crazy if ya don' think 'm always gonna get in the mood," he whispers taking her hand and laying it on his crotch where his cock is a hard lump in his jeans. "I'm in the mood more than ya know girl. Just can't always act on it."

"Which is why I wanted us to do this Daryl. I know you love our kids and I know you're gonna miss them…"

"Shhh," he breathes leaning in and kissing her. "I love them kids more than anything, 'cept you. So let's do this, me an you. Yer my girl Beth. Always."

Daryl has words when he needs them, she's learned that. These words are ones she needs to hear.

"I could, you know, still give you that blow job if you want…" He bites his bottom lip, letting it go with a pop. His blue eyes flash in the dim light from outside.

"Ya ain't gotta ask girl…" he raps gently tugging on her hair as she gets her hand on the button fly of his jeans.

* * *

Sunday came too quick. That's what he thought when he opened his eyes with the sun that morning Beth curled up against him her head on his chest. Leaving Mateo and Paisley with Maggie for a whole weekend had bothered him. He didn't want them to feel left behind or miss him and Beth. He didn't want to make them feel anything he might have felt as a kid. But they aren't him. They got a mama and daddy who love them and family that always wants to spend time with them. Their childhood will never be like his.

Once they said their goodbyes were on the road the knot in his stomach eased. The ache in his heart took a little longer. He had to work at it and he wanted too. He wanted Beth to know that this trip meant as much to him as it did to her. So he held her hand and then he stole her food and her smiles made him so fucking happy. He didn't need to apologize, that's what Beth would have said if he'd let her and she would have been wrong. He knew he was hurting her feelings even though she tried to hide the fact. Saying sorry was just the start. He needed to show it too.

Their weekend was amazing as far as he was concerned. They slept in on Saturday and after cooking breakfast together and packing a lunch they hiked all over the forest. They spotted a fox hiding in the trees and picked out two pretty rocks from a stream for the twins. Daryl tucked a third in his pocket to put on Beth's night table beside their bed at home. She'd fucking love it, it would make her happy and that would make him happy.

The blanket they brought for a picnic served another purpose when Daryl pushed Beth back down on it and worshipped her body in his favorite way while she whimpered his name and pulled his hair.

They made dinner together that evening and sat on the deck under a blanket on a little wicker loveseat. They talked about the twins and made a vow to go away at least one weekend every other month.

"But we still got a date night once a week right?" he'd asked wanting to make sure they kept that in place. Keeping Beth happy and making sure she knew without a doubt he still loved her as much as he did the day Pup knocked her over mattered more to Daryl than he actually realized.

"Until we're old and gray," she'd teased and smiled. And he thought about fate and destiny and how Beth had made him a believer.

Climbing out of bed, doing his best not to wake her he padded into the small kitchen. He tried to be quiet but it wasn't long before Beth came out looking for him. She was wearing his t-shirt, her hair a mess and her eyes still soft and sleepy.

"You're cooking breakfast naked! Why didn't you wake me?"

"Was gonna surprise ya and serve it ta ya naked in bed. But ya ruined it!" he grumbles as he spoons eggs onto two plates.

"I don't feel like anything was ruined," she breathes watching him. "In fact, I'll even go back to bed and act surprised." She turns and skips off down the hall and Daryl can't help but smile as he loads up a tray with food and follows her.

The desire to stay wrapped up in one another was soon beat out by the fact that they missed Paisley and Mateo and Pup so they packed up and headed out with a lunch on the seat between them so they didn't have to stop. That was Beth's idea and he could see the twinkle in her eye as they got closer to home.

The twins were out the door even before Daryl shut off the truck. But Pup made it to him first and Daryl knelt down and let the dog put his paws on his shoulders and lick his face before he scooped up a screeching Paisley and swung her around.

"I missed you, daddy!" Mateo says tugging at Daryl's shirt. He hands off Paisley to Beth and picks up Mateo.

"I missed ya too, something fierce!"

"I took care a Paisley. She cried last night fer you and mama but I singed her a song." Daryl looks at his little son and smiles.

"We gotta take care of our girls don' we?" Mateo nods and looks over at Beth. "Go hug her again son."

Another milestone and like all the others they managed it together. It's still really just the beginning because there are always going to be firsts and some will be easier than others but he's got Beth and she's got him.

She notices the rock that night when they're crawling into bed and she loves it and smiles and it makes him happy… he's doing his job.

* * *

The years fly by and Mateo and Paisley grow and change like the seasons. After a pregnancy scare when the twins are seven, Beth and Daryl talk briefly about another baby but decide together that they like their family just the way it is. Besides, they've got Pup and he's like their first son.

School is another first and it's nothing like preschool and it's not as hard to let them go this time. They love it and excel at everything. Being premature doesn't seem to have slowed them down as far as learning goes. Pup goes to show and tell and Beth and Daryl take turns chaperoning field trips and Mateo has a flair for math that had Daryl bragging left and right.

Fourth grade is the year the twins start to come into their own.

A school-wide project about families is the highlight of the month of February and even though this year the twins aren't in the same class they get to work on it together. Five students will be chosen to present their projects at a special assembly. Paisley loves being in the spotlight and is all about making their project the best.

They're at the dining room table after dinner one evening working on it.

"How did you meet Daddy?" Paisley asks pencil and notebook ready. She's all about fairy tales and true love and wants to tell the story of how her parents met. Mateo didn't argue because he won't win. And he likes to make his sister happy. Beth has seen that first hand since they were little.

Paisley asks the question and Beth looks over at the fireplace where Pup is curled up on his bed. His muzzle is graying and he doesn't chase rabbits like he used too. He's getting old. Beth doesn't like to think about it. It's inevitable though. The day will come when they have to say goodbye.

He won't ever be forgotten and this is the perfect opportunity to make sure Pup's story lives on. It's a love story and it's all of their story but it started with Beth and Daryl and Pup.

"Well, I was sitting on a park bench kind of feeling sorry for myself because I just got off a bus and no one was home to come and pick me up. A man was walking his dog and the dog jumped on me and knocked me down."

"That was Pup?" Now Mateo is interested, his blue eyes, the mirror image of Daryl's light up.

"It was," Beth confirms.

"Did daddy help you up? Did he make sure you were okay? Did he kiss you?" Paisley's eyes sparkle.

"We ain't talking about kissing in front of our whole school! Mama! Make her stop!" Mateo begs.

"Your daddy didn't kiss me that first day. He's a gentleman." Beth says smiling at her daughter and patting Mateo on the leg.

"But I wanted ta! Wanted ta pick ya up and kiss ya like one a Paisley's princesses!" Daryl says from where he's sitting on the couch. He's smiling and Beth can't help but fall in love with him a little more each and every time he surprises her.

"Daddy!" Paisley screams delightedly. She runs to Daryl and climbs into his lap. "Was it love at first sight?"

Beside Beth, Mateo lays his head on the table. "I'm not doing this with her! She's gonna start it all off with 'once upon a time'." Mateo laments in a high pitched voice.

"I don't sound like that!" Paisley says.

"Could tell 'em 'bout our first date when Pup saved us from a vicious coyote," Daryl tells Mateo. The little boy raises his head his interest piqued again.

"Really? He did? Was there blood?" Mateo asks.

"Yep, all over the place. Yer mama stitched him up right in front of me."

"What about the coyote? Did you shoot him with your bow?" Daryl hunts and Mateo loves taking his bow and going with Daryl. It's a boys-only trip that Paisley has no problem missing.

"I did," Daryl says and he glances at Paisley's stricken face. "Had ta or he mighta hurt Pup real bad."

Paisley runs over and kneels beside Pup rubbing his ears like he loves. Beth hears her whispering to the dog, "Thank you for saving mama and daddy Pup. You're such a good doggie… I love you."

He is the best. He's the reason for all of this.

Paisley and Mateo get picked to share their project and they even get the okay to bring Pup along to sit on stage with them. He wags his tail every time his name is mentioned and barks when the audience claps extra hard for the twins. Beth and Daryl are instant celebrities and all of the twin's classmates and their families have to come over and meet them and Pup.

Daryl is uncomfortable and hangs on to Beth doing his best to smile and nod and she loves him so much for that. After ice cream and tucking the twins in bed they give Pup a few of his favorite doggie treats and then she shows Daryl how much she appreciates him and loves him.

Life goes on and the kids continue to grow up faster than Beth likes and unfortunately so does Pup.

The twin's 11th birthday will probably always be the one they remember and it won't be for good reasons.

It falls on a weekend and Beth does what she does every year she gets up early and makes pancakes with chocolate chips and whip cream. She decorates the table with balloons and streamers and puts a present on each chair. These are the gifts from her and Daryl another thing that she does every year. A birthday party with family and friends will happen later but this is just for the four of them. A family tradition.

She's just put the last of the pancakes on a plate and covered them with a towel when she realizes Pup isn't at her feet begging for a little taste. He's always there. Especially when there's bacon involved.

But not this morning. Looking around the room she doesn't see him. When they remodeled the house Daryl added a little mudroom between the garage and the kitchen and when Beth goes in there she finds Pup curled up behind some boxes of clothes that she'd been meaning to donate. He's wedged himself behind the boxes like he's trying to hide.

"Pup?" she calls softly but there's no response. Not even a tail flick.

"Pup!" She's stuck on the step her feet refusing to cross the room and show her what she knows she's going to find.

She's a vet. She saw the signs but she didn't want to think about them, didn't know how to prepare for this… she goes over end of life preparation with her patients and their humans all the time. She's held many a hand as goodbyes were said. She's a comfort, that's what they tell her. She makes it easier…

Maybe that's so for everyone else. But right now she doesn't think anything could be any harder.

"Oh Pup…" Kneeling beside him she rests a hand on his already cooling body. " Daryl!" He hears her. From all the way over on the other side of the house he hears his wife's anguished cry and wearing just his jeans which aren't even buttoned he races to find her. And when he does she hears his breath hitch as he shuffles across the room to kneel next to her.

"Wha' happened?" he asks blinking fast and reaching for her hand.

"He was… he's gone. He's just gone." She leans into him her shoulders shaking but it's him who's holding onto her hand tighter than anything else.

"Fuck.." he breathes. "I think it was past his time, think he mighta been holding on… fer us." Daryl's voice is thick with emotion and it hurts, she hurts because he's hurting.

"I wasn't ready." There's really no way to ever be ready. That's what she tells her families when they lose a pet. And now she knows it's true.

"Me neither," he sniffs. Beth squeezes his hand, reaches up and rests her palm on his cheek.

"He's responsible for all of this… he did this." It's a beautiful thing even though it aches.

"Damn dog." His voice breaks and she slides her arms around him and holds him, lets him feel what he needs to feel. He'll do it with her. There's very little he keeps to himself anymore. He shares it with her.

"Mama?" Paisley's voice startles them both and they look to the doorway where the twins stand. "What's wrong with Pup?" Her voice is shaking and she knows what's wrong even if she has to ask.

Mateo is the spitting image of his daddy and it's more than looks that they share. Beth can see the internal struggle on his face. His hands are fisted at his sides and his jaw is tense. She holds a hand out to them both and they reluctantly join their mom and dad on the floor of the little mudroom that's bright in the morning sun.

"Remember how we talked about how Pup was getting old?" Beth says keeping her voice even. Both children nod. "He went to sleep last night and didn't wake up. He didn't hurt at all, just drifted off." Mateo falls against Daryl and sobs, her little boy who tries so hard to keep everything he feels on the inside, tries so hard to be like his daddy but doesn't quite have it down. But then again his daddy doesn't hide everything anymore either.

" 'S okay son. Damn dog had a good life." Daryl hugs his boy, kisses the crown of his head. There's no want for affection in this family. Love is doled out like food.

"He did," Beth agrees. Paisley climbs into her lap, slides her arms around her mama's shoulders.

"He was the best dog ever," she whispers reaching for Mateo's hand.

"He was your best friend daddy," Paisley says the things her brother can't or won't say. The things that hurt the most.

"He gave me yer mama so I'd always have a best friend. Even when he couldn't be here no more," Daryl says looking at Beth.

"He gave us a family, right daddy?" Mateo says. Daryl nods and pulls his boy close.

" 'S right. He did. I got all a you... And fer a little while I had him."

_~fin_

**A/N I did my research... Even best-loved pups don't live forever. A Lab's lifespan is usually 12 to 12 and a half years which makes me sad because I have a black lab and even though I know he's coming to the end of his journey it doesn't make it any easier thinking about saying goodbye… and neither is saying goodbye to this little universe! I hope you enjoyed the journey! Leave a note and thank you always… for everything!**


End file.
